November 1, 2007 at 8:27 a.m.
Nine area women meet challenge, compete in Bloomington duathlon
Nine area women meet challenge, compete in Bloomington duathlon
Rebecca Hanson, owner-operator of Bella Women's Wellness in Lindstrom, entered the Iron Girl in 2006, along with her mother. She was so enthused about the experience that she encouraged students at Bella to sign up for this year's event. "The whole purpose of the Iron Girl is to encourage women of all ages to lead healthy lifestyles," Hanson said.
Activities like the Iron Girl really fit into Hanson's "Philosophy of Wellness." She said she tries to convince her students, "to go out of the box," to try new things such as the Iron Girl.
Hanson said, "Every time we push ourself to our edge, we confront that which holds us back. Sometimes it is a genuine physical limitation. Sometimes it's a limitation of our character...ideas of who we are, who we are not.
"As we age, we often find comfort and settle into familiar territory. We forget how to see life with a childlike sense of wonder and possibility. We lose the sense of who we can become as women, even after children, marriage and menopause," Hanson continued.
Her enthusiasm for women's wellness led her to open "Bella" in October 2005. According to Hanson, when they made the move to the current site, in March 2007, Bella really started to grow. Seven instructors offer physical fitness and nutrition classes along with services like message therapy and Botox.
While Hanson was happy with the number of local women who participated in the Iron Girl this year, her goal for next year is to triple that enrollment. She was also encouraged that some non-students from the area heard about the event and signed up.
Hanson seemed to be especially excited to see so many mature women participating. She reported that the oldest was 68. "She actually passed me on her bike. I thought that was very inspiring."
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