Walking up to the starting blocks Tuesday evening at Faribault High School, there was an abundance of signs Abby Larson was about to embark on an unusual race.
kAm$96 DE2CE65 3J C6>@G:?8 E96 7246 >2D< D96 H62CD H96?6G6C D96’D ?@E :? E96 A@@= 2?5 E96? DE6AA65 369:?5 96C DE2CE:?8 3=@4< :? =2?6 7@FC] (96? D96 A66C65 @G6C E@ E96 8C2?5DE2?5D[ D96 H2D 8C66E65 E@ E96 D:89E @7 96C E62>>2E6D 5@EE:?8 E96 D62ED :?DE625 @7 72?D]k^Am
kAm%96?[ D96 =@@<65 E@ 96C =67E 2?5 C:89E] }@E @?=J H2D D96 ?@E 3@@<6?565 3J E92E ?:89E’D @AA@D:E:@?[ }@CE97:6=5[ D:?46 :E H2D 2 G:CEF2= >66E H:E9 3@E9 E62>D DH:>>:?8 :? E96:C @H? A@@=D[ E96 u2=4@?D 925 ?@E 6?E6C65 2?J @E96C DH:>>6C :? E96 d__\J2C5 7C66DEJ=6]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 ?6IE 7:G6 2?5 2 92=7 >:?FE6D[ {2CD@? H2D DH:>>:?8 2=@?6]k^Am
kAm“x H2D 567:?:E6=J 2 =:EE=6 3277=65 3J E96 H9@=6 D:EF2E:@?[” {2CD@? D2:5] “yFDE D66:?8 6G6CJ3@5J @G6C 96C6 @? E96 564< 4966C:?8 7@C >6 2?5 8@:?8[ ‘v@ p33JP’ 2?5 E96? =@@<:?8 @G6C 2?5 ?@E D66:?8 2?J3@5J[ :E’D 567:?:E6=J 2 5:776C6?E D:EF2E:@? E@ 36 :?]”k^Am
kAm$96 6?565 FA H:??:?8 E96 C246 H:E9 2 E:>6 @7 7:G6 >:?FE6D[ ae]e D64@?5D — b_ D64@?5D 72DE6C E92? }@CE97:6=5’D $:C: }2CG6D@?[ H9@ 4=2:>65 D64@?5 A=246 27E6C E96 E:>6D 7C@> 3@E9 E62>D H6C6 4@>3:?65 7@C 4@>A=6E6 C6DF=ED]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 C246[ 9@H6G6C[ {2CD@? 925 ?@ :562 H96E96C @C ?@E D96 ?66565 E@ DH:> 72DE6C[ >2:?E2:? 96C DA665 @C A@DD6DD65 E92E >F49 >2C8:? 7@C 6CC@C]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 ?6G6C 5@?6 E92E 367@C6[ D@ E92E H2D 4@>A=6E6=J ?6H E@ >6[” {2CD@? D2:5] “x 32D:42==J ;FDE 925 E@ 8@ :?E@ :E H:E9 2 8@2= :? >:?5 2?5 9@H x H2?E65 E@ 766= >J DEC@<6D[ 3642FD6 @3G:@FD=J E96C6 H2D ?@ 4@>A6E:E:@? ?6IE E@ >6 E@ 492==6?86 >6] xE H2D C62==J ;FDE 766=:?8 @FE >J DEC@<6 2?5 ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ <66A :E 4@?D:DE6?E E96 H9@=6 H2J E9C@F89]k^Am
kAm%96 @?=J 32C@>6E6C AC6D6?E %F6D52J ?:89E H2D D6?:@C '6C:EJ (C2J\#223@==6[ H9@ H2D DE2E:@?65 2E E96 6?5 @7 {2CD@?’D =2?6[ @AA@D:E6 E96 DE2CE:?8 3=@4<D[ H:E9 2 =2A 4@F?E6C D96 >@G65 FA[ 5@H? 2?5 D:56 E@ D:56 E@ C6=2J 9@H {2CD@? ?66565 E@ 25;FDE 96C A246 2D E96 C246 AC@8C6DD65]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 6249 6G6?E AC6D6?ED D:>:=2C 492==6?86D :? E96 G:CEF2= 7@C>2E — u2C:32F=E 2=D@ 6?E6C65 @?=J p=6I q=2D49<@ :? E96 `__ 3FEE6C7=J — E96 ?2EFC6 @7 E96 d__ 7C66DEJ=6 6I246C32E6D E96 D:EF2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%JA:42==J[ 2 E62> H:== @?=J 92G6 @?6 @C EH@ DH:>>6CD 256AE 2E DH:>>:?8 E96 6G6?E BF:4<=J[ 2?5 4@?D:56C:?8 E96 =6?8E9 @7 E96 DH:>[ E96 >2C8:?D C2A:5=J H:56?] x? 2 ?@C>2= J62C[ {2CD@? — E96 D49@@=’D C64@C5 9@=56C :? E96 d__ 2?5 =2DE J62C’D q:8 h 2?5 $64E:@? `p 492>A:@? :? E96 C246 — >62DFC6D 96CD6=7 E9C@F89@FE E96 D62D@? :? 5F2= >66ED 282:?DE E96 E@A DH:>>6CD :? E96 d__ 2C@F?5 E96 q:8 h r@?76C6?46]k^Am
kAm}@H[ 96C 2?5 u2C:32F=E DH:>>:?8 2?5 5:G:?8 4@249 r92C=:6 uF==6C 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 4@>A6?D2E6 H:E9@FE E9@D6 5:C64E 9625\E@\9625 >2E49FAD]k^Am
kAm“r92C=:6 E2=<D E@ >6 27E6C >66ED E96 ?6IE 52J[ 2?5 96 86ED E96 =@H5@H? @? H92E @E96C 8:C=D 2C6 DH:>>:?8 :? E96 4@?76C6?46[” {2CD@? D2:5] “%96? H6 8@ :?E@ AC24E:46 E96 ?6IE 52J 2?5 x 5@ 2 3F?49 @7 A246 H@C< E@ ECJ 2?5 86E >J A246 d_D 2D 72DE 2D E96J 42? :? 4@>A2C:D@? E@ E9@D6 8:C=D] %96C6’D 2 =@E @7 4@>A6E:E:@? :? >J @H? 9625 :? AC24E:46 E@ ECJ 2?5 36 72DE6C E92? E9@D6 8:C=D]”k^Am
kAm$@[ 2=@?8 H:E9 7@4FD:?8 @? DEC@<6 4@F?ED 2?5 ?2:=:?8 7=:A EFC?D[ {2CD@? :D >6?E2==J EC24<:?8 96C A246 7@C 6249 d_ H:E9 E96 8@2=D 96C 2?5 uF==6C H:== D6E 367@C6 2 C246]k^Am
kAm(:E9@FE 5:C64E 4@>A6E:E:@? E@ <66A 96C =@4<65 :?[ E9@D6 :?5:G:5F2= >:?:\8@2=D 96=A E@ ?@C>2=:K6 2 >66E 2?5 C246 E92E’D ?@H96C6 ?62C EJA:42=]k^Am
kAm“(96? J@F’C6 DH:>>:?8 2 =@E @7 E96 8:C=D 2C6 E2=<:?8 23@FE 9@H :E 5@6D?’E 766= C:89E 2?5 :E’D F?4@>7@CE23=6 2?5 :E’D 5:776C6?E E@ ?@E 92G6 E92E 4@>A6E:E:@? C:89E ?6IE E@ J@F 7C@> 2 5:776C6?E E62>[” {2CD@? D2:5] “%92E’D @?6 E9:?8 H6’G6 366? H@C<:?8 @? 2D 2 E62>[ ;FDE >6?E2==J 9@H E@ AC6A2C6 J@FCD6=7 7@C E9:D D:EF2E:@?]”k^Am