Opinion

Tearing down walls

By John Gathright

Recently, both China and the United States flexed their political muscle over the mid-air collision and emergency landing of a U.S. spy plane on the Chinese island of Hainan. The conflict is over and the U.S. crew is back home. The media had a news blitz showing the excitement surrounding the homecoming of the U.S. crew. While I was watching the coverage, I saw a quick graphic insert showing China's Great Wall.

For a second, my mind raced back to August in 1985 and the story of Dick Molen, an American who flexed more than just a little muscle in China. He made history. Dick Molen, in a race to beat cancer, ran a 41 km-marathon on the Great Wall.

Seven years before the run, Dick was given only six months to live. News that he had Hodgkin's Disease left him emotionally devastated. His wife Jan's previous husband had also died of Hodgkin's Disease, so she was determined to keep her new husband alive.

Together they fought what was thought to be an inevitable death, and won! Dick, while in cancer treatment, exercised daily, but because of the pain and fatigue he said he actually cried more than he exercised. At the end of his cancer treatment he could only walk 100 m before he would collapse. During this critical period of his recovery, Jan was standing beside him and encouraging him all the way. She even ran, too.

As Dick improved, so did his desire to conquer his illness, and he resolved to run a marathon. He won second place in his age bracket at a marathon in Las Vegas. This enabled him to enter the Boston Marathon. Dick completed the Boston Marathon with a hero's reception not unlike the recent return of the military crew. The media dubbed him "The man who outran death." Dick hasn't stopped running. He once whispered with a smile, "If I stop, death might catch up." In 1985, Jan and Dick ran a 41 km full-marathon on top of the Great Wall.

Dick and Jan hoped that this historical run might lead to an annual Great Wall Marathon that would contribute to improving China-U.S. relations and world peace.

The idea was soon squashed due to political bickering and pettiness. The timing was wrong, and the Great Wall Marathon idea died.

But Dick kept running and then started climbing. He later conquered Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, Mount Aconcagua, Mount Everest, Mount McKinley and Mount Vinson in the Antarctic.

While I watched the peaceful and joyous ending to the spy plane conflict, I couldn't help but feel that maybe the timing is right to resurrect the Dick Molen Great Wall Marathon! The Great Wall was built to keep people out. But it could be put to a better purpose. World leaders and runners could all participate together in a politically-free sport with all proceeds going to help world cancer research. The White House Web site encourages people to send a message to the president. I just did, and now I am off to buy some running shoes and an English-Chinese dictionary.

Shukan ST: May 4, 2001

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