by Mollie Larson
for the Burns Times-Herald

Hi, my name is Mollie Larson. My husband, Stan, and I moved to Harney County from Deschutes County 16 years ago.

I was born without arms and face challenges every day, but I’ve never let it stop me from finding ways to do things, nor let it stop me from achieving my goals.

At a young age, I taught myself how to ride a bike, play basketball, and bowl. I even won a bowling trophy for having a high score! I joined a ballet class, and my teacher said I was a natural dancer.

I also ran track, but at the time, I wasn’t fast or good enough to win. I always finished last. I feel like, because nobody believed in me, the passion wasn’t there. However, I never gave up and always finished the race. I wanted to prove to myself and others that I could finish what I started. Whenever anyone told me I couldn’t do something, I wanted to prove to them I could, if given a chance.

Fast forward to last year. I’ve always loved Disneyland and Disney World. Visiting those theme parks has always been a magical experience for me because I can be myself. I know people won’t make fun of me for not having arms.

Unfortunately, some people make judgments about me based on my physical appearance without ever getting to know me.

One day, a friend of mine told me about runDisney. These are races that you run inside the parks. I thought that sounded like an amazing opportunity, but I was afraid to participate because of my past experiences with running. However, my friend encouraged me, saying I just need to train hard.

Getting a spot at runDisney is very difficult. Many people dream of it, yet not many people get a spot. I looked into the races, especially the Princess Half Marathon (13.1 miles), and I kept telling myself that I would participate in that race one day. I could make my dream come true. I just had to believe in myself.

Two people have always inspired me — my husband, Stan, and my best friend, Tammy Attleberger. These two never gave up on me, have a heart of gold, encouraged me, and always lift others up when they’re down. They always told me I was amazing and they were proud of me. That’s all I needed to go after my dream.

In January of 2022, I woke up and told Stan that I’m ready to start training for the 2023 Princess Half Marathon. I prayed to God and told him, if I get a spot, I’ll train hard no matter what the weather looks like outside.

On June 21, 2022, at 7:10 a.m., my dream came true. I was able to secure a spot at the 2023 Princess Half Marathon at Disney World in Florida. Thousands of people from around the world will compete in this race. I was so excited, I ran into the bedroom and woke my husband up to share my great news.

I continue to train and run virtual races for runDisney. So far, I’ve earned 10 medals for running 5Ks, 10Ks, 9.3 miles, and 13.1 miles.

On Feb. 19, we’ll fly to Florida on our own dime to show the world that anything is possible as long as you believe in yourself and are willing to work hard for it.

Thousands of runners will participate in the Princess Half Marathon on Feb. 24, and this small-town girl from Harney County is ready to show the world she’s good enough to run with all of them.

My dream came true because I never gave up and was willing to train hard. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough or let yourself feel you can’t do it because I know you can. Believe in yourself!