0

inkDisney: Making Your Love for the Mouse Permanent

Some people have had the love for all things mouse from an early age because they grew up watching the Disney Channel, while for others it was magical feeling that they experienced walking into a Disney Theme Park for the first time. In any case, as Walt really wanted it to be, Disney has a way of invoking strong emotions in people. Those emotions lead some to display their love for Disney by getting a tattoo. In this series, we will talk to some of those people who are part of the “inkDisney” family. We want to find out why they love Disney so much and what inspired them to take their love for the Mouse to the next level. This week, we will talk to one of our readers. Her name is Runner Unleashed ( @RunnerUnleashed on Twitter) and she is from Orlando, FL!

leg2

When did your love for Disney start?

I’ve always had a love for Disney. My family and I would always visit. Having my only son now, I get to relive and share my love for Disney all over again.

 

When did you get your tattoo?

I got my Goofy 39.3 tattoo, shortly after completing the runDisney Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge. It is running a half marathon and a full marathon back to back. I am a runner with severe Scoliosis. I’ve always been told that I can’t run because my twisted spine can’t handle it. Long story short, knowing that I successfully completed the challenge with minimal pain, made me feel strong. So I wanted to forever cherish those memories with this tattoo to symbolize the true strength within me. I got my other tattoo about 2 months ago. Shortly after finding out that my “S” shaped spine was starting to twist again. It’s very confusing to Doctors because my spine is fused(I’ve had 4 spinal fusions) I have to get another spinal surgery but it won’t help the pain much. My days have gotten tougher to manage through but I am doing the best I can with what I have. I run so I can be free. Since my Scoliosis controls such a large part of my day, running is the only time that I am under MY control and not my pain. It’s hard to explain but so long as I run under an hour, I am happy, feel powerful, and free. Running is a reminder that I AM strong enough to fight this chronic pain battle.

Leg

How long did it take to complete?

It took about 2 hours to finish my first one. It took about 3 hours to complete my second one.

 

What inspired you to get your tattoo?

As explained above, I got the tattoo because completing the 39.3 Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge made me feel like I could do anything. Being a Scoliosis runner is no easy task, I struggle daily and running is the only time I am pain free.  As far as my second one, I have a love with Alice in Wonderland. In many ways I can relate as I see life as she sees it in Wonderland. Life is something you must enjoy and see the beauty in everything. I wanted to have a permanent reminder of what running has taught me. Through it, I’ve learned about my REAL strength to overcome my daily obstacles. I put the cheshire cat sitting on a twisted spine, with the words “mad and twisted” around it. It’s a reminder that to deal with what I go through one has to be a little mad and twisted. Twisted signifying my twisted spine 😉 My husband also got a tattoo in honor of me and everything I have gone through and will continue to go through. As the cheshire cat says “Everyone here is mad. I’m mad. You’re mad. It’s only by chance n’ careful planning if you’re not! “

collagea

 

Do you plan to get anymore Disney tattoos?

Of course!      

   

If you are curious or are inspired by the story of Runner Unleashed, check out her journey at www.runnerunleashed.com .

If you would like to be a part of our inkDisney series and share your Disney inspired tattoo with the Disney community, please reach out to us at on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

 

Elantrice H.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.