At home in Unalakleet, Nick Hanson practices CrossFit with a twist.
Sure, he makes daily trips to the gym. He stays active coaching high school sports and Native Youth Olympics (NYO) competitors. But the 27-year-old athlete said the secret to his success has a lot to do with Unalakleet itself—the remote location, the harsh weather and the subsistence-rich diet.
"I think the biggest part of staying in shape out here is just the lifestyle," Hanson said.
Hunting builds strength and endurance. Berries plucked from the surrounding landscape are packed with vitamins and minerals, and a single serving of seal meat contains as much iron as approximately 18 hot dogs, according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
For Hanson, fitness in rural Alaska means combining modern methods with innate traditional knowledge and a deep love of the land that raised him.
His father has European roots; his mother's Inupiaq. Hanson's always been active. As a child, his family moved to Eagle River for a few years and he learned to play hockey and baseball. Back in Unalakleet, he played basketball—probably the most popular sport in any rural Alaska community. He wanted to do more, so he took up cross-country running, wrestling and volleyball. He was a frequent competitor at NYO, where he learned to excel at games like the scissor broad jump, the bench reach, the blanket toss and the toe kick.
After graduating from Frank A. Degnan High School, Hanson went on to study civil engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He enrolled in a college weight training class and learned about proper nutrition—lessons that only reinforced the things Alaska Natives have instinctively known for centuries, he said.
A few years later, he returned to Unalakleet, where he began working as a teacher's aide, then a coach. He began teaching students to compete in basketball, volleyball, wrestling, cross-country running and the NYO games. And he loved it.
"It was the best feeling to show kids what I do," Hanson said. "This is what I want to do for the rest of my life."
Under his direction, Unalakleet's young athletes flourished. They grew stronger, ran faster and jumped higher. When Hanson first began coaching NYO more than five years ago, there were 12 athletes. Now there are more than 20.
In 2015, the Bering Straits Native Corporation gave Hanson a Young Providers Award for his contributions to the health and well-being of his family, community and culture.
It's important to lead by example, Hanson said. So he never misses a workout. A 30-day fitness challenge offers a glimpse into his habits: Nourish your body with plenty of water, fruit and vegetables. Do lunges, squats, push-ups, sit-ups and high-knee exercises. Run. Play. Move every day.
When Hanson won a coveted spot on the hit NBC show "American Ninja Warrior" last summer, he made his own makeshift training course out of sheets of plywood, driftwood logs and other materials. While he builds muscle in the weight room, he builds stamina and adaptability outside, doing many of the same things Alaska Native people have been doing forever.
Summer means diving into local swimming holes, reeling in pounds of fish, running, hiking, biking and taking advantage of all the extra hours of daylight. As the season turns, caribou hunting means traveling over miles of rough terrain.
Even winter's biting winds and frigid cold can't keep him inside: Hanson has an incurable case of cabin fever.
One favorite cold-weather pastime involves climbing nearby Ayuu Hill, sliding down the steep face and landing in the soft snow at the bottom. Do it again and again and again. The next day, Hanson said, your body will be sore in ways you never knew it could. It's exhausting but fun, the way exercise should be.
One tip for staying fit, no matter the weather? You have to dress for it, Hanson said. It's a lifestyle.
Kirsten Swann writes for the Special Content department at Alaska Dispatch News and loves looking for new ways to share old stories. At home in Anchorage, she most enjoys writing about all the fascinating people and places that make up daily life in the Last Frontier.
This article appeared in the Winter 2015 issue of 61°North. Contact 61°North editor Jamie Gonzales at jgonzales@alaskadispatch.com.