Lisa Larson is the office manager at Dobesh Chiropractic in Mitchell, SD. She manages the daily operations of the clinic and strives to make a positive impact on patients' mental and emotional wellbeing to supplement the physical support they receive from their visits to the practice.
Lisa has enjoyed running her entire life. She has participated in several 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons. She has completed four full marathons and qualified for and completed the 2019 Boston Marathon.
Thirteen years ago, Lisa began the marathon of her life, racing against the effects of years of alcoholism. In the early years of her recovery, she discovered that her passion for running became her "meditation on the run." As she runs, she finds she is better able to gather her thoughts, think through creative ideas, and connect to her higher power through prayer. In her sobriety, Lisa realized that the mental strength she gained as a result of her training matched the physical benefits.
As she has grown in her recovery, Lisa has been an advocate for others who face the same disease. She knows first-hand that it does not discriminate, and that its victims often are experts at covering up their vices. Statistics show that addiction and suicide often go hand-in-hand, and as a result, Lisa has been an advocate for mental health awareness and openly shares her journey and zest for life with others.
Lisa has taken delight in organizing numerous successful 5k run/walks to benefit individuals and organizations in her community, both therapeutically and monetarily. On July 4, 2022 she spearheaded the God Bless the American Farmer 5k to honor her brother, who lost his life in an accident while fulfilling his life mission of preserving the American way of life through farming. The event raised funds for the scholarship fund she created in his memory for educating future farmers at Mitchell Technical College and, just as importantly, it brought friends and family together to celebrate the legacy he left behind.
Lisa says that life, like running, is a journey filled with transitions and challenges that reveal a person's true strength. She lives by the words of U.S. marathon legend Amby Burfoot: "As runners, we all go through many transitions - transitions that closely mimic the larger changes we experience in a lifetime. First, we try to run faster. Then we try to run harder. Then we learn to accept ourselves and our limitations, and at last, we can appreciate the true joy and meaning of running."