IMG_0068.JPG

All of Hansel’s journals can be found in the Archives Collection found in the Darling Library.
Photo by Hunter Foote


When the current e
xecutive vice president of Azusa Pacific, David Bixby, was on Walkabout as a resident advisor many years ago, he found himself belayed on a large rock, struggling to find hand holds and slipping back down after each move of progress he made. Feeling discouraged, he looked down to see his guide, Tim Hansel,waiting patiently.

“He stayed out there as long as I wanted to stay encouraging me, telling me I could do it, telling me how great I was. I wasn’t great, but he made people believe in themselves,” Bixby said.

A new reading room is currently under construction in the Marshburn Memorial Library to honor Hansel, a motivational speaker, author, former APU professor and football coach. Additionally, the room commemorates Walkabout,
the backpacking trip all Residence Life student workers go on each year. Hansel was an avid climber and outdoorsman and was a part of the core group who developed the trip.

Campus Changes 2-2.jpg

The new reading room, located in Marshburn Memorial Library, is still under construction. Photo byKayla Landrum

 

“He just had a following. He was like a Pied Piper here,” Bixby said. “People just loved him, and they loved him because he made a way for people. He just opened doors. He would move people to do things they had never done before.”

Outside APU, Hansel founded an organization called Summit where he would take young kids to the wilderness. Sometimes the youth had physical or emotional disabilities such as missing limbs; Hansel even took kids with terminal cancer. Hansel was well known for his big heart.

“He would do it in a way that they could be successful,” said Bixby. “For the five or seven years he was here [at APU], he was really Christ to so many people because of the way he reached out. He just loved people. He loved people unconditionally.”

Much of Hansel’s most popular work, such as his book “You Gotta Keep Dancin,'” came out of a tragic accident shortly after Summit’s founding. According to the Summit Adventure’s website, Hansel fell while climbing and landed on his upper back and neck, crushing several vertebrae and spinal disks. The accident caused him to be in excruciating pain for decades before his death on Dec. 13, 2009 at age 68.

(Video: Tim Hansel’s memorial – his life in pictures)

During his life both before and after the accident, Hansel constantly kept a journal and accumulated dozens of editions before the end of his life.

IMG_0065.JPG

Tim Hansel was known for his avid journaling as well as his love for the outdoors.
Photo by Hunter Foote

“When he died, which was a few years ago, there was a decision made of, ‘Where could we put his things and tell his story?'” Dean of Libraries Paul Gray said. “And so, because of Walkabout and a few other things, Dave Bixby approached me about the possibility of bringing his collections here.”

The room is now furnished with desks and decorations featuring hiking, backpacking and climbing equipment. The room also includes photos of Hansel and a sign that says “Walkabout.”

“What we developed was an exhibit where we’re going to showcase a little bit about his life in terms of his love for mountain climbing, that’s why you see the rock climbing stuff,” said Gray. “There are also a couple desks there because he loved to journal. … That’s the purpose of this room, is to sit in the ambience of this great man who had such an impact on young people.”

Until the room is completed, all of Hansel’s journals and books can be found in the Archive Collection located in Darling Library on West Campus. According to Gray, friends of Hansel’s provided the funds for the creation of the room.

“I think it would be really fun for people to look at where the very beginnings of Walkabout happened. I think that Hansel was probably every bit as responsible for Walkabout moving to the level that it is right now,” Bixby said.

Many years ago, sleeping students on Walkabout would wake abruptly to the sound of Hansel’s voice at 6 a.m. urging them to get up and run and dive into the lake nearby.

“You would do it because Hansel had that kind of life-giving ability to where if Hansel said you should do it, you ought to do it,” Bixby said. “He’s the kind of guy you would run through a wall for.”