The Rest
of the Story
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Jan
grew up in a theatrical family in San Francisco, studied
dance and theater, and taught elementary school most of
her life. She is competitive, athletic and disciplined.
In 1972 her first husband Clare died of Hodgkin's disease,
she then married Dick Molen, a short time after the marriage
he was diagnosed with the same cancer. Although devastated
by the reality that she may be forced to experience the
same nightmare that she had gone through with her first
husband, she helped Dick on his long and successful struggle
against Hodgkin's, and joined him on a series of adventures
that most women don't even read about, let alone experience.
For more on her story visit
Jan running Greek Marathon
For more on her story visit
Jan running Great Wall Marathon
Training in Bangkok,
Thailand
Bangkok Post - July 23rd 1985
Training in Hong Kong,
China
South China Morning Post - July 26th 1985
For more on her story visit
Jan climbs 7 peaks
Mt. Kilimanjaro - Elevation 19,340
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Jan Molen at 54 lead the final climb from 15,000 feet.
"I wasn't ever going to
give up!" Even the natives were impressed.
The African guides, who call all older women "Mamma,"
had bestowed a new title on Jan Molen:
"Strong Mamma!" they cried as she walked into
the bar. "They were so happy that the climb was successful,"
Jan said later. "And they were singing this song,
'Kil-I-man-Jar-o,' in Swahili. I made them sing it over
and over, and they tried to teach it to me." Cope
1986
Until a few years ago, Jan Ring
was a California elementary school teacher whose life hadn't
differed much from that of most middle-aged Americans,
except that her husband had died of Hodgkin's disease. Then
she married Dick Molen, helped him on his long and
successful struggle against the same disease, and joined him
on a series of adventures that most teachers don't even read
about, let alone experience.
Today, she can tell stories
about the inspiration of the Statue of David, the view from
the Great Wall of China, the course of the ancient Greek
marathon, and the snows of Kilimanjaro. And she can tell it
all first-hand. She's been there.
Alan Cunningham - Cope
Magazine - October 1986
From the Kibo Hotel, through
an enchanting tropical rainforest, a beautiful alpine
meadow, and then over a lunar landscape of nothing but
volcanic ash and rock, we climbed to the summit of
Kilimanjaro.
Masai
Kilimanjaro Itinerary
Paris to the top, photos
from our Kilimanjaro Itinerary
The route we took up
Kilimanjaro
Jan celebrating with African
guides, after climbing Kilimanjaro. She was the first
climber on our expedition, to reach the summit.
