Alive and Well
by Joe Henderson

In the spirit of revisiting past stories, here's an update on Dick Molen. Exactly one year has passed since the magazine first told of this Carmel, California man who beat a cancer death sentence to run a 2:51 marathon. The best news is that Molen, now 55, remains healthy and active nearly eight years after the "terminal" illness was diagnosed.

"I've never had any recurrence of the cancer," he says, "and I stay away from doctors."

Last August, the former football pro and his wife, Janice, become the first people known to have run a full marathon on the Great Wall of China. "It was a tremendous challenge," Dick tells reporter Jerry Shaw. "There were areas of the wall that were caved in completely. We'd slide down 50 feet, then climb back to the other side to carry on."

It's all uphill from here. "Now we are embarking on a new adventure, which will be most challenging," says Dick. "We are going to attempt to climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents, ending with Mount Everest. When we reach the summit of Everest, my wife will be the oldest person [she'll be 56, slightly older than Dick] ever to have reached it and the first American woman."

They started with Mount Kilimanjaro. Next comes Europe's tallest mountain, Elbrus, in the Soviet Union.

At the same time, plans are in the works for a movie on the Molens' recent years. Gary Lockwood, who played an astronaut in 2001, has agreed to produce the film.

Terminally ill patients see hope in Dick Molen's story, and have frequently come to him for advice since the RW article appeared.

"I'm not a doctor or a guru," he says. "But I tell them to concentrate on three things. Mental attitude is first. Change your diet is second. And the third is getting some kind of exercise."