By Julian Thomas
Published in This People Magazine 1995

Intro by Dian Thomas

This story is one of my greatest treasures. It was written by my father, Julian Thomas, as part of a series titled Father of Champions. In it, he reflects on my childhood growing up at the Baker Ranger Station in Monticello, Utah, and the many small moments that shaped who I became. His words remind me of the love, values, and encouragement I received from both of my parents. I’m grateful to share this piece of my roots with you.

A Childhood Shaped by Nature

Most people are a product principally of their environment and training. Dian’s early background was a 240-acre ranger station in Monticello, Utah. She and her four brothers rode horses, built tree houses, dug honey from wild beehives, raised lambs and chickens, and sold fishing worms for 12 cents a dozen.

I had graduated from Utah State University with a degree in range management and became a District Forest Ranger on the Manti-La Sal National Forest. We were expecting Dian when we moved there, and she was born that spring. We stayed there for 12 years, during which time Dian seemed to thrive in a world of exploration and homemade fun.

Adventures with Dad

I loved my work—being in the outdoors and riding my horse on Sunday range inspections in the Abajo and Elk Mountains. I would often take Dian and her brothers with me, which they all loved. We’d cook in two Dutch ovens—stew in one and sourdough biscuits in the other.

Sometimes we went to the Dugout Ranch, where they watched me help the cowboys count and brand cattle to go on to the national forest. Often, Dian would go with me to irrigate the fields, wearing a pair of big red boots and carrying a small shovel in her hand. Other times, she’d perch on the fence and watch the fire training schools I conducted, where we’d mock up a fire and have the crews shovel dirt hard and fast to put it out.

It was a busy life, but an exciting, adventurous one for youngsters, and it seemed to give Dian a zest and energy for life that she has always sustained.

Early Signs of Initiative

From a young age, Dian exhibited a great measure of initiative. Norene and I gave the kids a small weekly allowance, but it didn’t cover all the projects Dian dreamed of—like pogo sticks, croquet sets, and additions to her treehouses. When she was about nine, she began looking around town for a job she could do.

One day at the Mercantile, she saw a young boy stacking cans and thought, “I can do that too.” She got ready, hopped on her green bike, and rode the mile into town. She was nervous as she went into the store. She asked for Mr. Adams, the owner. He was about 35 at the time, and when Dian—small but determined—looked up at him and said, “I see that kid stacking cans. I have to stack cans for my mom at home. Could I get a job stacking cans?” he smiled down at her. “I’m sorry,” he said gently, “I can’t hire you. You’re too young.”

Feeling dejected, she pedaled home, riding down the hill into the Baker Ranger Station. As she passed the area where she and her brother had often dug worms for fishing trips, a lightbulb went off. She rushed home, excited, and asked her mother if she could start a business selling “educated worms.”

Our ranger station lay alongside the access road to the national forest fishponds, and it was Dian’s idea to sell worms at 12 cents a dozen. Jay, her brother, made a sign that read “Educated Worms,” with a mortarboard hat on top of a worm curled down the poster. Although all the children contributed to the experience, Dian was the most diligent, digging worms day after day.

In Monticello, there was a man named Mel Frost who had studied Personalogy, a system for identifying personality strengths and success traits. He often saw Dian in town on her bike or at church. One day, he stopped me and said, “Someday that girl is going to be a success.”

When Dian went to junior high school in Salt Lake, she learned that if you got out of fourth period 10 minutes early, you could serve lunch to other students. Dian signed up quickly and asked me if, since she’d get a free lunch, I would give her the 25 cents it normally cost. I agreed, and she saved her lunch money to buy a typewriter.

Creativity, Curiosity, and Cameras

She baby sat often, and at one home, they had a homemade darkroom. Although she was only 11 years old, she came home and got her brother, Jared, to help her build a darkroom and a tin-can camera. They spent hours taking photos and developing them themselves.

Later, Dian used these skills to build her own photography company, earning money to travel while teaching at Orem Jr. High School.

If You Want It Bad Enough…

She seemed to believe that nothing was beyond her reach if she wanted it badly enough. At 16, Dian joined a club offering a trip by bus to Quebec, down the East Coast to New York, and home along the pioneer trail for $148 (about $1,615 today). Her mother said, “No,” but Dian persuaded me to let her go if she could earn half. I didn’t think she could—but she did. We sent her east with some trepidation, but no small amount of admiration.

A Family Rooted in the Outdoors

Even without my forestry career, Dian would likely have developed a love for nature. Our family trips were always camping, fishing, and hiking adventures. Norene made fishing bags for each child, and we often hiked trails at Monument Valley, Arches, and Natural Bridges. At night, we cooked over the campfire.

Work Ethic: A Family Tradition

My ranger duties required long hours. In Monticello, I’d type reports until 9 or 10 PM after a full day’s work.

My office had two rooms—one where I worked, and one back room where we often stored old equipment that had been replaced. In the evenings, Dian and her brother Jared would come over while I was working and play in the back office, pretending they were grown-ups running an office of their own. It was always nice to have them there, and they did this often. I think being around that work environment helped shape their early understanding of responsibility and work ethic.

Later, when I worked in Salt Lake with responsibility for the Brighton and Alta ski areas, I got up at 5 AM for eight years to give ski reports on the radio.

Dian seems to have picked up the same habits. She can work all night, sleep a few hours, and then head out to a flight where she’ll be on TV, radio, or doing interviews.

When we moved to Salt Lake, Dian began Brighton Camp and Outdoor Leadership attending Brighton Girls Camp, where she honed her outdoor skills. She went for four years as a camper, then applied to be a kitchen aide and worked her way up to camp director for the final two of the seven years she spent at camp.

We helped shuttle her and her gear back and forth and often returned for special programs.

Encouraging Education and Staying Connected

Each summer, we took the children to visit the Brigham Young University campus and told them, “This is where you can go to school someday.” Norene and I were pleased when each child chose to attend BYU in their own time.

Because long-distance calls were expensive, Dian created a code for us to let the kids know if we were coming to Provo that weekend. Since I gave ski reports on the radio, if we were coming, I’d begin with, “Good morning, ski fans.” If not, it was “Good day, ski fans.” One child would listen early and call the others with the news.

Norene once told me that Dian had surprised her with what she was capable of. She had gone down to BYU to watch Dian teach a church class. When she came home, she said, “I think Dian could get a job teaching at the university after her education.” It was a proud moment for both of us to see the young woman she was becoming. Little did we know at that time that she would go on to teach at the university and later build a career on National television.

Supporting a Budding Media Star

As Dian began doing television programs, our support included meeting her planes at all hours and helping pack her three or four suitcases, loaded with tin-can stoves, rocks, Dutch ovens, and groceries. I also videotaped her segments so she could watch and critique them later.

A Spirit That Can’t Be Contained

People often say Dian is fun to watch because she seems to be having so much fun. She is. We used to make games out of ordinary objects, finding extraordinary uses for them. She still does that. And she’s not afraid to be herself—we’re proud of her for that.

Advice for Fathers of Adventurous Daughters

If I were to counsel other fathers of adventurous young women, I would say:
Give them opportunities to do things on their own, support and encourage them, and live the kind of life you want them to lead.