Hulda was depressed, overweight, sickly, and constantly fatigued. In her 60’s and suffering from the loss of her husband, her poor health aggravated her depression. Born in 1896 and reared on a Canadian farm, her diet was rich in meat, milk, cream, butter, eggs, and candy. She began walking to relieve her sadness—and set some new records in the process!
Between the ages of 65 and 91, Hulda Crooks scaled 14,505-foot Mount Whitney 23 times, won eight world athletic records for women over the age of 80, and climbed 86 different Southern California peaks—all over 5,000 feet! Affectionately known as “Grandma Whitney.” Crooks Peak near Mount Whitney was named in her honor in 1990.
Hulda described a typical day in her life at age 80: “Early to bed and early to rise. Out jogging about 5:30 a.m. Jog a mile and walk it back briskly. It takes me 12 minutes to jog the mile and 15 minutes to walk it. Do some upper trunk exercises, work in the yard, walk to the market, and work.”
At 91, she became the oldest woman to climb Mount Fuji in Japan. She hiked the entire 212-mile John Muir Trail in the High Sierras. She died at 101—without depression.
A healthful diet, exercise, faith in God, and a positive mind-set proved a winning combination for Hulda. She wrote: “I have an abundance of fresh raw fruits and vegetables as well as the cooked kind. . . .You need both a good diet and sufficient exercise. The exercise is absolutely essential in keeping up a good circulation. If we don’t exercise, the circulation is sluggish and that affects the entire body, the mental as well as the rest of the body.” She found that being in nature was a tranquilizer for her emotions. She called nature “the picture book of the Bible.”
Hulda believed that “mental attitude has so much to do with every function of the body. If we can develop an attitude of gratitude for the blessings that we have, we will be much better off.”
What if she didn’t feel like exercising? Hulda replied: “Usually I do it anyway. . . . If the brain is on top, it should be in charge and tell the rest of the body what to do. And so that’s what I do.”
Grandma Whitney “showed the world that mental, physical, and spiritual health is attainable at any age.” Hulda climbed more than mountains; she climbed out of poor health habits and depression into a positive, balanced lifestyle.
“Blessed are those that keep My ways…For by Me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.” Psalm 8:32; 9:11. From the beginning, God linked exercise with lifestyle and nutrition.
(Submitted by Betty Dean. Used by Permission from www.lifestylematters.com. Courtesy of LifeSpring – Resources for Hope and Healing, Stuart, VA).
