Making the Guinness Book of World Records at any age is impressive. But Bonnie Sumner of Woodland Park scored a world’s record for the dead hang at the age of 81. Most likely for eternity, or close to it, Sumner scored the record for hanging from a bar for more than 3 minutes. Three seconds more, that is.

“The record for my age was two minutes, one second,” she said.

But Sumner has that competitive streak, and waited until she turned 81 on Jan. 5 to beat the competition and increase the odds.  

Through pain, calloused hands, fatigue and doubt, not to mention the seemingly outrageous undertakng, Sumner scored the hit and made national news.

Sumner’s feat  was featured on page 10 of the Jan. 31 edition of the New York Times.

The article highlighted Sumner’s sponteneity, her let’s-go-for-it attitude about new adventures – even the hard ones.

Sumner got the idea of hanging from an article by the same writer, Hilary Achauer, who wrote about the benefits of hanging.  

With the help of trainer Eve Lawrence at Woodland Fitness Center, Sumner worked up to the three-minute three seconds mark.

“We did it every week and there were some challenges,” she said.

When Lawrence suggested that Sumner take off her wedding ring to free her hands, she balked. Sumner is a widow whose husband Mark Sumner, died in December 2023.  The ring wasn’t coming off.

“I developed calluses and it didn’t hurt anymore,” she said, with a go-figure shrug.

During the summer, she nearly slid off the bar moisturized by her sweat, a problem solved by applying chalk to the hands

Week by week she started on the record, working up to nearly 3 minutes. Rather than giving herself a pat on the back, she kept going, encouraged by Lawrence to go for three/three record, just 15 seconds more.

“There are so many terrible things going on the world, so much suffering, whether people are being tortured, starving, and I think I can’t do something for 15 seconds?” she said.

Competing in the Dead Hang was not part of her regular workout.

“I went to the gym to be fit; I didn’t know one muscle from the other,” she said. “But you can’t work for functionality in what you want to do if you don’t have someone help you.”

Hanging from a bar, however, is more than chalked hands and strong arms.

“It’s about calling all these muscles, back, shoulders, into play, to lift you up, so you’re not just hanging there, like a side of beef,” she said.

Sumner is adamant about maintaining fitness to stay independent in the older years.

“If you are serious about being strong and fit, to live your life better, especially as you get older, there are professionals who can help you reach that goal,” she said.

As a widow and older woman, Sumner emphasizes the need for fitness as part of daily living.  

“Be fit for functionality so that you can do what you want to, like lift heavy things, carry groceries, shovel snow,” she said. “When I’m shoveling snow, I know how to do it.”

Summer recalls that snowstorm in October – when she didn’t go to the gym.

“I was shoveling snow for three days for five hours every day,” she said.

For Sumner, working out is about more than just muscle power.  For her, it’s about mingling – in the ladies locker room, for instance.

“We just talk about – whatever,” she said. “Everyone is respectful. The gym is a great community resource.”

While hanging might be a lofty goal, for Sumner, it’s all in a day’s work.

“It only took five minutes of the workout,” she said. “This is not climbing Mt. Everest.”