Hannah Arensman
“Pain is weakness leaving the body” - General Lewis B. Puller
Nickname: Tigger
D.O.B.: 3/22/1998
Birth city and state: Valdese, North Carolina
Current City: Valdese
Height: 5’ 7”
Specialty: Climbing/time trials
Previous sports: Swimming and triathlon
Years racing: 4
Hannah is a junior cyclist who has been on team Twenty16 for 3 years. She started out as a swimmer at age 8, and when she was 11 began racing triathlons. In the off seasons she would race cyclo-cross to stay fit and work on technical skills. She absolutely fell in the love with it. At age 14 she plunged into the world of cycling.
Cyclo-cross is a wonderful place to start cultivating that love for cycling and the life lessons that can be learned from it. That is why one of her joys is in helping young junior riders. She wants them to enjoy cycling so they have a platform to learn some of these life skills that go beyond actual racing—perseverance, hard work, and self-control. It is one of her goals to help women’s cycling to grow. Encouraging the next generation is a way that she can help do that.
Career Highlights (example)
- 2 time Amateur Road Nationals Women’s 15-16 Road race Champion
- Pan Am Continental Cyclo-cross Championship 5th
- Cyclo-Cross Nationals Women 15-16 1st
- Podium at Junior Track Nationals in the Women’s 15-16 Individual pursuit
- Amateur Road Nationals Women’s 15-16 Time trial 1st
2015
- Brick City Criterium 1st Overall
- Amateur Road Nationals Women’s 17-18 Road Race 6th
- Slow Ride Omnium 4th Overall
- Southeastern Collegiate Conference Championship Women’s Road Race 4th
- Podium at Cyclo-Cross Nationals Women 17-18
2014
- Amateur Road Nationals Women’s 15-16 Road race 1st
- Amateur Road Nationals Women’s 15-16 Time trial 1st
- Podium at Johnson City Omnium Criterium
- Podium at Junior Track Nationals in the Women’s 15-16 Individual pursuit
- Cyclo-Cross Nationals Women 15-16 1st
What inspired you to become a bike racer?
I felt God calling me to race and my sister Allison Arensman.
Who is an inspiration to you in your life, both on and off the bike?
Sonni Dyer, my coach.
Favorite meal when training?
Fresh vegetables (grilled or baked in the oven), sweet potato frinch fries and some sort of beef.
The best thing about being a bike racer is?
All the time you get time spend outside and the places you see!
What is your biggest accomplishment on the bike?
Winning the junior 15-16 women’s road race at junior Road Nationals at age 15.
Favorite place you’ve raced your bike and why?
California because of the diverse terrain and the amazing road course.
Favorite cross training or off season activity?
CYCLO-CROSS!
Best tip for a new bike racer?
Tahoe California!
What are one or two things that you do daily that are the key to your success?
Eating well and 3 minutes of planking.
If you weren’t bike racing what would you be?
A triathlete
What is something that nobody would know about you?
I love to climb trees!
TWENTY16 has an emphasis on education with the initiation of our Junior Scholarship program in 2015. http://teamtwenty16.com/education.htm
Why is continued education important?
For anyone, whether they are an athlete or not, it is important to make oneself well rounded so that they are prepared for whatever life may throw at them. Education provides the perfect opportunity to do just that. Not only does it give mountains of information, but also those important life skills of respect, perseverance, critical thinking, and so much more. It helps develop the work ethic that a person carries throughout life.
What does Ridebiker Alliance mean to you?
It is just amazing! I love their passion to help the sport grow in community and equality.
Favorite things to do off the bike:
- Play ultimate Frisbee
- Hike
- Hang out with friends
- Swim
- Bake
Top 10 warmup/pre-race songs on your iPod:
- 40 Deep -Lecrae
- Boasting -Lecrae
- Strung Out -Lecrae
- Go Hard -Lecrae
- Dive –Steven Curtis Chapman
- Next 5 Minutes –Steven Curtis Chapman
- Zone Out -KB
- Blow Your High -Lecrae
- Don’t Waste Your Life -Lecrae
- Background -Lecrae
