Motivation from Darlene's Journey

Motivation from Darlene’s Journey

In 2005, 15 year old Darlene lived in Short Creek, Arizona. She wasn’t allowed to run or go to school. Many of her friends had just become young brides in plural marriages. Darlene worked 11-hour days at a chicken restaurant, where every paycheck was funneled through her parents to the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS).

Darlene didn’t want a polygamous marriage, so she left Short Creek and worked to create a better life for herself. She walked to work, went to school and babysat on weekends.

4 years after leaving Short Creek, she worked packet pickup at the St. George Marathon expo and immediately loved the vibe of the run community. She bought a pair of running shoes and started training. A year later, Darlene completed the 2010 St. George Marathon. She ran it in 5:19:37.

8 years after finishing her first marathon, Darlene visited Short Creek to reclaim an abandoned family home. The 13 years away from the area allowed Darlene to see it with a fresh perspective. She was struck by the beauty and potential of the region, so instead of simply reclaiming the property, she decided to stay.

A year later, the Short Creek Run Club officially formed. It maintains the festive, joyful, fun, encouraging and hopeful vibes that initially attracted Darlene to the run community. Building community around a club that has nothing to do with religion is helping Short Creek to create a new identity and supporting its residents to live healthier lives.

Here are 3 ways to use Darlene’s story as motivation:

When in doubt, run: Darlene wasn’t sure what to expect from running, but she liked the vibes so decided to give a shot. It turned out to be a powerful force that has helped her to heal from a traumatic childhood and begin to rebuild the Short Creek community. Similar to Darlene, when in doubt, running can help guide us forward.

Trust your instincts: Darlene ignored warnings from family members that leaving FLDS would result in her going to hell. Instead, she trusted her instincts and believed that a better life was possible. Similar to Darlene, we can all benefit from trusting our instincts.

The future can be better, but it requires work: Darlene considered her future in a polygamous marriage and decided that she wanted something better. She achieved it through hard work, saving up and getting educated. Now, she is creating a better future for Short Creek by leading a run club and hosting run events. Similar to Darlene, we can all create better futures for ourselves and our communities if we are willing to do the work.

Thanks Darlene! Let’s have a great week!