Running on Cyclone Power

Dr. Laurie Meythaler-Mullins ('08)
In the Winter 2021 edition of VISIONS magazine, Iowa State alumni learned of Laurie Meythaler-Mullins, who along with her husband, coached a grade school cross country team in the remote Alaskan village of Bethel. This team ran with whatever gear they had available. Running shoes were not common. Soon after the team's story went public, donations started flowing in. "The initiative came solely from VISIONS readers," Meythaler-Mullins said. "After the article was published, Debra Wood, a former track and cross country runner for Iowa State, contacted me on behalf of her teammates. They wanted to donate shoes and t-shirts to the team." The word spread. More than 75 pairs of shoes and shirts made their way to rural Alaska, into the hands of the aspiring runners.