Super Senior: Rosalind Fritz

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. (WCAX) - London, England, is over 3,000 miles from Newfane, Vermont, but for Rosalind Fritz, it seems a world away.

“I can’t quite equate to the Rosalind that was there to this Rosalind now,” Fritz said.

She was a singer performing under the name Ross Hanneman. She partnered with lyricist Tim Rice and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who went on to produce musicals like “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Cats.”

“This is my contract with Tim and Andrew Lloyd Webber,” Fritz said. “We were all up and comers together, the three of us were completely broke, no money for food, it was really quite extraordinary actually.”

With good looks and a personality to boot, Fritz was voted the London Evening Standard’s “Girl of the Year” in 1967. She was still a teenager. “I went shopping for the day and bought all these clothes and the Evening Standard paid for!” Fritz said.

She even had a pop song that made the charts in England. But her partnership with Webber ended.

Rosalind Fritz: I would have loved to be part of that success.

Reporter Joe Carroll: And why weren’t you?

Rosalind Fritz: Because I met my husband and got married and had a baby. So that was kind of the end of my singing career at the point.

The marriage ended, too, and the fame faded. But Fritz recently made headlines in Vermont. “The crowd was amazing, they were saying, ‘go for it Rosalind, you can do it Rosalind.’ They’re screaming at me,” Fritz said.

In April, the 74-year-old set the world record in her age group. Bench pressing 95 pounds and dead-lifting 205. Rosalind says she’s now both mentally and physically stronger than when she was a teen.

It all started at Supreme Fitness in Brattleboro three years ago. “I walked in here and absolutely freaked, because it’s very intimidating if you’ve never lifted weights properly before,” Fritz said.

Fritz had been diagnosed with borderline osteoporosis. She figured weight-lifting would strengthen not just the muscles, but the bones. “I’m not a fazed by getting older, because as you get older, you get frailer -- unless you do something about it, which is what I’ve done,” Fritz said.

“With more training, she’s going to get even stronger,” said Carla Grant Fritz’s trainer.

Rosalind Fritz: There are probably women stronger than me, but they don’t go for competition.

Reporter Joe Carroll: They’ll be gunning for you after seeing this story.

Rosalind Fritz: Oh, I hope so. It’s nice to have some competition.

“I really want to beat my old record again and keep on going up,” Fritz said.

A news clipping from her younger days says, “Roz Blooms Again.” In 2022, she’s still blooming.

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