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Ritu Hemnani

Basalt Island, in Hong Kong’s Sai Kung district, was supposed to be a summer escape. It was July 2020, early in the Covid-19 pandemic, and Jennifer Wannenmacher and her family had joined a group of friends for a day of coasteering along the island’s rugged coastline.
The activity involved traversing the shoreline on foot, jumping into the water where cliffs ended, swimming to the next ledge, and clambering out to continue the journey. There were eight adults and three children in total, including Wannenmacher’s husband and kids, then aged six, eight and nine.
The water was calm when they started, but halfway through, the swells turned choppy and unpredictable. Suddenly, her children could not time the waves to hoist themselves onto a slick rock face. They were slipping. The current threatened to pull them into open water.
“I started to panic,” says Wannenmacher, now 47. “But then muscle memory kicked in.”
She called on a move called a barbell thruster, performing it in open water with no floor to push against.
“I had to tread water, and when I was ready, I kicked out of the water while thrusting my child up onto the rock face,” she says. “By this time, one of the dads had managed to climb out and was waiting to grab the child I was thrusting upwards.”

It wasn’t adrenaline that saved them, but years of muscle building.
“Strength training increased my coordination,” she says. “Intuitively, I knew I had to muster explosive power upwards, but that meant waiting for the right timing and coordinating the movement from my legs to my glutes to my arms.
“If we don’t strength train, our instinct is that arm movements rely on arm muscles. But training teaches us that our arm muscles are much smaller than our hamstrings, quads and glutes. To push more weight upwards, we must activate our lower limbs.”

That July day ended in tragedy. A 38-year-old man in their group died, and his friend was injured during a rescue attempt. The loss haunts Wannenmacher, but it also cemented a truth she now shares.
“I’m not a young athlete or a fitness professional. I’m your typical middle-aged woman who trains for more than just aesthetics,” she says. “That decision – building real, functional strength in midlife – became the difference between life and death for my kids.
“So many of us are encouraged to train just for appearance – losing weight, toning, looking a certain way. I was absolutely one of them. But what if we trained for real capability instead? What if we saw strength as a form of resilience, mental toughness and love for our families?”
How to build physical and mental strength
Wannenmacher has been active all her life. She trained for trail running and in 2009 took part in a 250km (155-mile) ultra-marathon across the desert in Namibia.
“But cardio does not equate to muscular strength,” she says. She started CrossFit nine years ago, when she was 38 and had never touched a barbell or lifted weights before.

Through CrossFit, she discovered Olympic weightlifting, with its explosive snatch and clean-and-jerk movements. In 2025, she competed in an Olympic weightlifting competition as the oldest competitor across both male and female categories and won her weight division.
“There were only two of us,” she laughs with characteristic humility. “But the point isn’t the medal. The point is: an old dog really can learn new tricks.”
With maturity, she has stopped comparing herself to others.
“When you train for capability instead of chasing a certain look, you free yourself from external expectations,” she says. “Midlife becomes less about proving anything and more about discovering what’s still possible.”


Recent research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that just two hours of resistance training per week can significantly extend lifespan and reduce all-cause mortality.
For middle-aged women, the stakes are high: muscle mass naturally declines after age 40, bone density drops and metabolic health becomes a daily negotiation. But, as Wannenmacher points out, it is never too late to start.
“Training to counterbalance muscle loss and bone density only came to the forefront for me in my early forties,” she says. “But the truth is, you don’t need a crisis to begin. You just need a shift in mindset.”
The mental hurdles were real for Wannenmacher. “I constantly battled self-sabotaging thoughts: am I too old? Do I look ridiculous? Is it too late?” What kept her consistent was simple accountability and environment.
“I prepaid for classes, I trusted the process, and I loved the vibe – it felt like clubbing at 7am, minus the hangover,” she says. “Consistency isn’t about grit; it’s about designing a routine you actually enjoy.”
How to create a ‘virtuous cycle’ of resilience
Wannenmacher’s weekly routine includes one to two hikes or brisk walks for enjoyment or the chance to have a walking meeting, plus two to three focused strength or CrossFit sessions.
“It’s the fitness version of a diversified portfolio – different types of training that complement each other and build capability,” she says. “And enjoyment. Enjoyment is what keeps training sustainable.”
Over nine years, that commitment transformed into what she calls a “virtuous cycle” of resilience. “Strength training doesn’t just fortify muscles; it dismantles invisible cages of self-doubt,” she says.

The benefits spill into Wannenmacher’s everyday life. She renovates her own home, rolls heavy carpets onto her shoulders and lifts her grown children – each over 172cm (68 inches) and 60kg (132lbs) – without hesitation.
As a professional emcee for large-scale events, she brings her physical stability directly to her stage presence. “My body no longer fights me; it supports me,” she says. “I move with intention, hold strong postures and feel completely at ease, even in stilettos.”
This physical trust reshapes her mentality. “When you know your body can handle a load, you become bolder in life,” she says. “You say yes to challenges. You speak with conviction.”
And there is another layer: freedom. “When women are strong, they feel more freedom … of movement, and as a result, freedom to explore life’s opportunities,” she says.
One myth Wannenmacher would like to see disappear is that women must eat less and move more. “The maths simply doesn’t add up,” she says. “Chronically under-eating while overtraining leads to exhaustion, not vitality.”
Her approach is strategic: 120 grams (4.2 ounces) of protein daily, front-loaded with fibre and whole foods.
“It’s a diversified portfolio for longevity,” she says. “Strength training and proper fuelling aren’t about shrinking yourself; they’re about expanding your capacity to live well.”

For women in their forties and fifties ready to break free from diet culture, Wannenmacher’s advice is refreshingly practical: “Drop the misconceptions. You won’t ‘bulk up’ overnight; that takes years of dedicated, often pharmacologically assisted training. Most women who lift consistently become lean, capable and metabolically resilient.”
She recommends starting with three non-negotiables: commit financially to accountability, learn proper technique from a qualified coach to prevent injury, and track progress.
“Log your weights, reps, or times,” she says. “Even 1 per cent weekly improvement compounds dramatically. Seeing those numbers rise is addictive.”
“I’ll start when I’m stronger” is an excuse she hears often and finds utterly ironic, she says. “That’s what the gym is for.”
Why women should think about strength more broadly
Wannenmacher’s message is clear and personal: “Women need to think about strength more broadly. It’s … about building the physical and emotional power to protect the people we love when life takes a dangerous turn.”
For her, strength training is a practice of autonomy, resilience and quiet rebellion against the notion that women should shrink as they age.
“Strength means feeling comfortable and confident in my daily movements and having the freedom to move as required and desired,” she says.
“It’s never too late to begin. And once you do, you’ll wonder why you ever waited.”
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Hong Kong-based emcee Jennifer Wannenmacher lifts weights at the Coastal Fitness gym in North Point. The mother of three describes how years of strength training enabled her to lift her kids out of troubled waters when a day of coasteering turned treacherous. Photo: Edmond So

Jennifer Wannenmacher and her family on a holiday in the Philippines in 2017. Photo: Jennifer Wannenmacher

Wannenmacher says that, as our arm muscles are smaller than those in our legs, we must use our lower limbs to push more weight upwards. Photo: Edmond So

Wannenmacher takes part in a multi-day 250km ultra-marathon in the Namib Desert in Namibia in 2009. Photo: Jennifer Wannenmacher

Wannenmacher competes in an Olympic weightlifting competition in 2025. She was the oldest competitor across both male and female categories and won her weight division. Photo: Rob Lee/Powerhouse Barbell Club 

For Wannenmacher (here with the golden ball), strength training is a practice of autonomy, resilience and quiet rebellion against the notion that women should shrink as they age. Photo: Jennifer Wannenmacher

Wannenmacher (middle) takes part in the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker event in Hong Kong in 2016. These days, she takes two hikes or brisk walks per week as part of her “diversified portfolio” of fitness. Photo: Jennifer Wannenmacher

Wannenmacher says building strength is important for women as it enables them to feel freer. Photo: Edmond So

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Li works out with Pherform gym owner Stephanie Poelman. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Jennifer Wannenmacher rescued her children from a risky sea incident. The 47-year-old shares how to build strength in middle age


Jennifer Wannenmacher rescued her children from a risky sea incident. The 47-year-old shares how to build strength in middle age.


Hong Kong mum who lifted kids to safety on why ‘it’s never too late’ for strength training

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Jennifer Wannenmacher rescued her children from a risky sea incident. The 47-year-old shares how to build strength in middle age

Jennifer Wannenmacher rescued her children from a risky sea incident. The 47-year-old shares how to build strength in middle age