Peak condition

Batavia Homestead resident Fran Wickman is someone you should know. Why?

According to Sun City resident F. Schrauth, who is related to Wickman (his daughter married her son), Wickman recently took up a new hobby – mountain climbing.

The other part of the story?

Wickman will be 96 this May.

“I’ve always been a walker,” Wickman said, elaborating on her active lifestyle.

Wickman walks about an hour every day, and she also makes smaller choices throughout the day that have a healthy impact.

“She never takes the elevators,” said Schrauth.

Wickman concurs.

“I go up and down the stairs about ten times a day,” she said.

In short, Wickman always seems to be training for her next climb.

Wickman incorporated mountain climbing into her annual activity regimen just five years ago when she turned ninety. Since then, she has been taking trips to Mount Baker in Bellingham, Washington, where her grandson lives. Each trip to the mountain, she and her family climb about 6,000 feet, an achievement that takes about three and a half hours. What equipment does Wickman rely on?

“Just walking sticks,” she said.

While Wickman’s healthy habits clearly help her to scale to new heights, Shrauth also credits Wickman’s attitude for some of her abilities.

“I give her a lot of credit,” said Schrauth. “She’s a go-getter. Personality-plus.”

In fact, Schrauth is inspired by Wickman, and feels that Sun City residents can also feel inspired by her story. Particularly, Schrauth said that Wickman’s story can encourage residents to “giddy-up and go and not give up.”

What motivates Wickman to keep active?

“Just the desire to keep doing it,” she said. “It’s something I look forward to every year.”

Wickman’s next climb is scheduled for this coming August.

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