Age Is Just A Number

Exercise provides WWU volunteer faculty member Tim Bollenbaugh, 64, with a way to heal memories and live in the present

Story & photo by Imogene Eagan

Every weekday at 6 a.m., a man wearing an insulated navy puffer jacket, dress pants and an embroidered tie swipes into Western Washington University’s Rec Center for a workout that will last several hours. After climbing the stairs to the east cardio wing, he begins his workout on the elliptical, before shifting to rep out pull-ups in the west cardio wing. Finally, he returns to the elliptical to finish things out. The man leaves for a few hours, then returns later that afternoon for a second workout, still with the same bright smile and greeting.

At 64 years old, Tim Bollenbaugh maintains one of the most consistent exercise regimens of all Rec Center patrons, regularly attending the Rec Center twice a day.

“Tim is a pleasant person who brings a smile to the gym every day. His discipline and commitment to his routine is so admirable,” said Ron Arnold, Rec fitness and instructional staff coordinator. 

Bollenbaugh began his professional career at WWU as an animator for Media Services in 1990. Now a volunteer faculty member in the graphic design department, Bollenbaugh finds exercise a good outlet for refining his mental health. His daily routine prioritizes exercise breaks out of necessity. 

For eight years, Bollenbaugh has regularly exercised at the Rec Center to improve his declining health, an inevitable product of increasing age. Even after he suffered a potentially serious injury in November of 2022, Bollenbaugh immediately resumed his routine, despite feeling, as he put it, “packed in a bag of ground glass.”

For most of his life, Bollenbaugh worked in manual labor jobs. At one maritime gig, he was responsible for organizing and moving block, tackle, winches and cables – strengthening muscles he now uses on the Rec’s Synergy360 pull-up machine. 

Bollenbaugh also utilizes exercise as a trauma outlet. As a child, he witnessed a terrible event that became seared into his brain, seriously threatening his psychological well-being from an early age.

“There was something within that experience needing a solid answer. My sense of reason wouldn’t rest with a rationalization. I needed something solid to stand on,” Bollenbaugh wrote.

Throughout his undergraduate years at Western, he strained against the memory, which resurfaced continually. He pushed himself to study for hours every day to make up for the learning difficulties he’d acquired from the experience. Today, he compares his mental struggles to a scene from a famous cartoon: the feeling of bewilderment Wile E. Coyote expresses when he realizes, suspended in midair after chasing Road Runner off of a cliff, that he is about to fall.

“And I only made it to this age because I did not know how hard it was going to be and how long it was going to take,” Bollenbaugh said. 

By “it,” Tim referred to his process of recovery, with the ultimate goal of putting distance between his trauma and his reality. Bollenbaugh learned how to focus his mind through exercise. He wrote that “deep attention to rhythmic motion allows your nervous system to refresh and reconnect.” By trying to understand his mind, Bollenbaugh was able to take control of how he experienced his life.

“Presently, I combine trauma research with research in learning disabilities, perceptive compositing, visual perception, art education, and art therapy. Distinctions between these are artificial — our entire mind and body are a package deal,” Bollenbaugh wrote. 

Although he denies seeing himself as a potential source of inspiration for others, Bollenbaugh is nevertheless regarded by many at the Rec Center as a person who sets a high bar.

“He has stood out in our community… [he] will look you in the eye, and will remember your name. Those kinds of things matter,” said Dane Siegfried, Rec operations and climbing wall coordinator.

Bollenbaugh has had a lifetime of struggle, but he continues to grind his teeth and resist the haunting memories that try to pull him down by “addressing my trauma, my injuries, and accomplishing my research & results. Which means I’m working for function, performance, and endurance.”

Propelling himself through unseen battles with dignity and gratitude, Timothy Bollenbaugh is a stellar example of the longevity that can result from a firm commitment to healthy living. Every day, twice a day, Bollenbaugh can be found on the second floor of the Rec Center, increasing his strength, enhancing his mental fortitude, and making peace with his memories.