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Training to Live to 100 — And She’s Already Ahead of Schedule
Suzette Batenburg has one long-term goal: live to be 100.
She joined PowerStrength’s Personal Training Program for adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s in 2021 to reach that goal.
Five years later, she’s stronger, has more energy, and is keeping up with her grandchildren.
Ask her to sum up what’s changed, and she doesn’t hesitate.
“I have been able to accomplish things I never in my wildest dreams thought I could accomplish physically,” she said.
WHY SHE STARTED
Suzette had always been active — walking, kayaking, gardening, swimming, skiing.
What she’d never done was structured strength training, and she’d never had a reason to think she needed it.
“I want to live to be 100 — healthy, whole — and be able to ski with the great grandkids and still teach them how to ski,” she said. “So that’s really my goal.”
That goal, more than anything else, is what brought her through the door and what’s kept her coming back ever since.
WHAT WAS DIFFERENT HERE
Suzette says the biggest shift wasn’t in what exercises she was doing — it was in finally feeling safe enough to push herself.
“The coaches being able to correct when you’re doing something wrong — I felt safe doing things I never felt safe doing before,” she said.
That guidance hasn’t faded with time. It’s part of every session at PowerStrength.
“I have coaches who make sure if I’m not standing correctly, if I’m not lifting correctly, if I haven’t got my shoulders back — they come up and say, ‘Hey, get those shoulders back,’ or ‘Maybe you should go lighter, you don’t have the form,'” she said. “So I’m encouraged by that.”
TRAINING THROUGH A SETBACK
A knee injury sidelined two of Suzette’s favorite activities for a full year, but it never sidelined her.
“I had a knee injury for a year that never even got in my way,” she said. “I couldn’t kayak, and I couldn’t ski, but I could do other things. And so I did. I’ve shown up here every single day that I could.”
She sees it as a matter of choice, not circumstance.
“I feel like you have a choice in life,” she said. “You have a choice to get in there and be the best person you can be — and that I don’t mean just physically, I mean in all the ways. Or you have a choice not to. My choice is that I want to live to be 100. So I have a responsibility to myself, to this body, and to my grandchildren and any future grandchildren, to be the best I can.”
THE PROOF IS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
The results haven’t just changed how Suzette trains — they’ve changed how she feels day to day.
“I would say that I feel stronger than I’ve ever felt,” she said. “I think I look healthier than I’ve ever looked.”
Her energy has always been part of her personality, she says, but it feels different now.
“It’s a healthier energy, I think,” she said. “I can walk longer. I can hang out with the grandkids longer.”
KEEPING UP WITH THE GRANDKIDS
For Suzette, the clearest sign of progress isn’t anything measured in the gym — it’s what she can still do with her grandkids.
“I’m able to crawl underneath the deck,” she said. “I’m able to get up on the swing. I’m able to keep up with them, engage, and actually do what they’re doing. Swim as long as they’re swimming, dive for all those toys, go up on the hill on the skis, they’re doing jumps, and I’m right behind them doing the same thing.”
They’ve been playing the same made-up game at her house every Wednesday for three years.
“They’re not going to get one up on me.”
MORE THAN PHYSICAL
The changes in Suzette’s body have been matched by a shift in what she believes she’s capable of.
“Who would have ever thought I could get a PR of like 200 pounds on a deadlift — who would ever think someone who’s going to be 69 this year could do that? And I can. I can,” she said in amazement. “I believe it’s not just the encouragement I get from my coaches, but also the community.”
A COMMUNITY THAT SHOWS UP FOR EACH OTHER
Suzette didn’t come to PowerStrength looking for friendship. She came to take care of herself. What she found surprised her.
“I have met a group of ladies who have become my soul mates,” she said. “We do life together — we pray together, we eat together, we go for walks together, we hang out at pools together. When somebody is going through a hard time, we come together, and we pray for each other, and we’re there for each other in all the ways.”
It’s a moment she still gets emotional talking about.
“I didn’t come in looking for that,” she said. “That was a gift.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Asked how she feels about her progress toward living to 100, Suzette is confident — as long as she keeps doing what’s already working.
“I absolutely know I can achieve that goal, especially if I keep doing this, keeping the healthy diet, keeping up with all the things I’m already doing,” she said.
ADVICE TO SOMEONE CONSIDERING IT
Suzette remembers exactly how it felt to walk in for the first time, unsure if she belonged.
“I came in here afraid, nervous, not knowing if I could do it,” she said. “But do it. It’s completely changed my life in every single aspect. I can’t even express that enough.”
Asked to finish the sentence “PowerStrength is ___,” she didn’t hesitate.
“PowerStrength is a place to come to find community, to build yourself — not just in your body, but in your spirit, in your mind,” she said. “I really, truly believe that.”
READY TO MAKE YOUR NEXT 10 YEARS YOUR STRONGEST EVER?
Men and women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who want to get stronger and have more energy can join the Personal Training Program at PowerStrength at any time. No previous workout experience is required — each program is customized to the fitness and ability level of each individual.
Multiple personal training sessions are offered in the early morning, mid-morning, late afternoon, and evening. Find your nearest PowerStrength location — Alpine, Kentwood, Jenison, Plainfield, Holland, or Byron Center.
Click powerstrengthpro.com/adult/contact-adult to learn more and schedule your risk-free consultation.