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This is the amazing, inspiring
story of Dick and Jan Molen, both public school teachers who met
on the beach in Carmel, California and now reside in Idaho. More
than twenty years ago at age 45, Dick was diagnosed with terminal lymph
cancer, 'Hodgkin's Disease'. He was given six months to live. In a
cruel irony, this was the same disease Jan's first husband died of
two short years prior to meeting Dick. Jan was then 47. However
this is not a cancer story. Rather it's a story of indomitable
human spirit, sheer will power, strong love, and a voracious
celebration of life.
Dick Molen was not about to die, regardless of the dismal
diagnoses. At the time he was a high school football coach in
Carmel Valley north of the beautiful Big Sur coast. [He once
played pro football with the San Diego Chargers.] Dick was an avid
athlete who weight-trained six days a week. Throughout his whole
arduous battle with his cancer he never stopped his training.
Never feeling like he had his doctor's full attention, Dick
researched his disease and designed his own nutritional regimen
which helped him deal with the chemotherapy and ravaging radiation
treatments.
Obviously the battle was long and tough for both Dick and Jan. His
normal workouts degenerated to bench-pressing an empty bar with no
plates, once or maybe twice. Or simply walking a few yards around
a muddy football field in winter, often stumbling and falling as
Jan waited in the car, watching him get back to his feet. But he
never quit. They never quit. And ultimately he beat it -
they beat it!
Shortly after the news of Dick's cancer going into remission the
Molens took a victory trip to Europe to celebrate. In Florence,
Italy, Dick had an epiphany. Michelangelo's fourteen-foot tall
marble statue of 'David', the quintessential athlete inspired him
to validate his own hard-won health. It was then and there he
resolved to run a marathon. He'd never run one in his life. And he
wanted Boston. But Boston rules required him to run a qualifying
marathon first. So after training for less than a year after his
cancer battle, he ran in the Las Vegas marathon, finishing
'second' in his age group with an amazing 2:59:18.
The following year Dick ran in the Boston Marathon, finishing 8th
of 2000 runners in his age group with a 2:51:50. As an
aside, his 'finishing time' was the title for a screenplay of his
life story and amazing accomplishment which ultimately fell out of
production. But that past chapter has been greatly overshadowed by
the numerous achievements and accolades racked up by both Dick and
Jan Molen worldwide over the years to follow.
Jan was a middle school teacher of mostly Mexican kids over in
Salinas, and African-American kids in nearby Seaside, California.
She was soon inspired by her husband's achievements and goals, and
joined him in his running beginning with lesser, local events like
the 10 K, 'Bay-to-Breakers' run. Then in their 50's, Dick & Jan
both decided to run the original marathon course from Athens to
Marathon in Greece, which they did in 1984. International
newspapers and magazines covered their story.
Dick & Jan decided next to finance a trip to China to run a
marathon on top of the 'Great Wall'. They did so in 1985. The
Molen's were the first people on Earth to have done this. They
received a letter of congratulations from President Reagan. They
also hold the distinction of being the subject of a question on
the TV show, 'Jeopardy' concerning what Dick & Jan Molen actually
did on top of China's Great Wall?
From Marathon courses which were the toughest on Earth to ones
they actually invented, the Molens turned their attention to
conquering the seven highest mountain peaks on the seven
continents. In 1986 they both climbed Africa's Kilimanjaro. It was
on this trip that Jan, now nearing 60, was given the affectionate
name, 'Strong Mama' by their African climbers because she was
first to reach the summit on that expedition.
Later that same year they climbed Australia's Mount Kosciusko.
Again, Jan was the only female on the expedition, in 1987, they
both conquered Europe's Mount Elbrus. And in 1991 they both
climbed South America's Mount Aconcagua.
In 1994 When Dick was 61 years old and Jan was 63, they climbed
Mount Everest, the zenith conquest in anyone's book. In a touching
ceremony, Dick and Jan placed a young boy's belt buckle at the
highest point of their climb. This was at the request of a father,
{a stranger to the Molens] who had lost his only son, Danny True
to cancer, Hodgkin's. Danny's father had read about Dick's story,
about the Molen's conquests. And he asked them to place the
treasured keepsake high up in the snows of Everest for all time.
Danny's buckle rests there to this day.
Not done by a long shot, in 1995 They climbed North America's,
Mount Mc Kinley; and later in '95 Dick and Jan climbed
Antarctica's, Mount Vinson.
Another screenplay was proposed. The scripts could never keep up
with their real time story - their amazing lives and indomitable
spirit. Hollywood screen legend, Kim Novak signed on to play Jan
at one point. That phase in itself could be another script. As
independent producers and promoters bickered over rights, over who
was going to play whom - who owned what, budgets and locations.
And in a darkly humorous irony, Dick's life was once threatened
over who owned the rights to his own story. But the Molen's focus
was always elsewhere - always on new conquests and new adventures.
Now in their 70's, Dick holds the distinction of being the oldest
person to reach the highest point on Mount Everest without making
the summit The walls of their Idaho home are papered with
accolades and articles from around the world. Dick has contracted
and beaten other forms of cancers subsequently over the years, of
course never letting the obstacles detour his goals. And their
story, their life, seems to always go on, always becoming just one
more impressive chapter. Thousands of people monthly visit their
web site. They give lectures of inspiration to universities,
corporations, and other groups regularly. A recent TV interview
went out to eight States nationwide.
Dick and Jan Molen's life story is truly a fantastic story of
American spirit that needs to be told and enjoyed by young and old
alike nationwide, worldwide... And soon. |
