Athens resident strives to stay young, hide nothing

by Janan Sheria
For The Post

Everything from her exuberant personality to her glass-covered Athens home shows the world that Susan Crehan-Hostetler has nothing to hide.

Hostetler, 45, lives her life with one major premise: to stay young.

Although life has thrown her struggles, she stays active and works to better the community around her. The most recent way she has done this is by funding the new Precision Cycling program offered through WellWorks and Campus Recreation.

“I am so proud and happy,” she said. “It’s so exciting to see your money at work. And I love being the center of attention and receiving all the accolades.”

In her twenties, Hostetler conquered lymphoma of the arm bone. She underwent radiation treatment and chemo for the cancer and had a portion of her arm bone removed. The surgery caused irreversible damage in her right arm and has been a great challenge in her life, preventing her from doing many things others take for granted.

Although she is a self-proclaimed “gym rat,” Hostetler’s life-long problem with her arm has ruled out tennis, swimming and golf.

Hostetler discovered cycling three summers ago during a stay at her summer home in Nantucket, Mass.

“I started Spinning classes in Nantucket,” she said. “I was a little intimidated by it. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.”

Susan’s husband is local artist David Hostetler. The two were introduced by one of David’s former students in 1985 at an art show in Boston, Susan’s hometown. She moved to Athens with him a year later and has been an active member of the community art scene since — first as a member of the board at the Dairy Barn and then as a full-time proponent of her husband’s art business.

She shows and sells her husband’s sculptures, prints and paintings.

“I do a ton of entertaining and keep things up and running,” she said. “I take care of my home, my artist-husband and entertaining. We play host/hostess to trustees and different people involved in the University. What do you think the university does with people who come to visit? They take them to the Hostetler’s!”

Aside from her husband and her health, Hostetler also has a passion for cooking. After graduating from Simmons College in Boston with a double major in psychology and management, she worked as a caterer and catered many up-scale events in New York City and beyond.

Hostetler does not hesitate to flaunt her positive attributes. Her continuous honesty and lack of humility are part of her charm. She never had children and never wanted any. She is not afraid to admit her undying vanity, epitomized by her fear of the sun’s damage.

“I have spent my life trying to stay out of the sun and it has been a job,” she said. “When I was an avid runner, before I suffered a serious heel injury, I was one of those people who wore giant hats and screens over my face, with gloves on my hands and long sleeve shirts and long pants. My friends used to laugh at me, but my hard work has paid off.”

“I am very vain—and I want to be healthy, but usually the vanity wins,” she said.

Christine Clay, fitness coordinator for campus recreation, and Kim Valentour, director of WellWorks, are both extremely appreciative of Hostetler’s donation.

“Susan is very conscientious about health, particularly the fitness side of health,” Valentour said. “She has been a member of WellWorks for many years and wanted to bring the cycling program to Athens. She has always been very impressed with the fact that cycling is a great exercise for people of all ages. We are very grateful to be able to have this opportunity; without her gift we would not have been able to do this program.”

Clay said because of Hostetler’s donation, WellWorks and Campus Recreation can offer their members more.

“Her help has also given our instructors the chance to keep up on the new fitness trends while expanding their instructing horizons,” Clay said.

Hostetler’s youthful personality makes her want to give youthfulness to those around her, but also drives her to keep herself young at heart.

“I’m going to pretend I’m 19 until the day I die,” she said.