Here is my opinion…People that actually accomplish things, people that actually get shit done are amazing. Irrelevant of age, race or physical condition or ability- if you manage to stay on-point and focused and reach your goal- you are a badass. I have great respect for people that are “Do-ers.” I would like to think I am one myself, but honestly, I am not sure I can say that about myself. There are too many times that I allow the disease, or my fear of failing, or concern that I will be judged to get in the way of me following through – of actually doing the shit that I KNOW I can do.
SO whenever I learn about another MSer DOING COOL and AMAZING SHIT – it impresses me beyond belief. Because I KNOW first hand about some of the crap that they have to put up with on top of the challenges that come with trying to accomplish things and obtain goals.
I know how life can seem to become just one continuous hack to try and manage even the simplest of tasks. I know about the unrelenting and sometimes debilitating fatigue, wanting to just curl up and not move again I know about feet and legs that feel like they have been set in 20lbs of concrete, that feel as if they are on fire (from the inside) and yet feel cold – all at the same time. I know about the blurry and cloudy vision that heat and cold and lights and sounds can bring on and I am way too familiar with the foggy brain that leaves me feeling as if I have a few too many shots when standing in Target at 10:00am on a Monday morning.
I know about all that shit and so to hear about others living with MS doing things that would be impressive irrelevant of the disease I want to tell the whole world about them.
So I am launching a new category to my blog. AWESOME MSers DOING BADASS SHIT!
My podcast is just about ready to go and eventually I would love to record and share my interviews but for the moment – I wanted to get rolling on this, because really – there are so many people that fit into this category and I want to just start sharing!
So let me start out by telling you about a group of MSers that are going to run the Detroit Marathon, Half Marathon, Marathon Relay and 5K!!! Before I begin telling you about these amazing people I want to mention that they are really hoping to build their team –
If you are a runner – or have ever thought of being a runner – I encourage you to reach out to Cheryl on her Facebook group – Run a Myelin My Shoes- MSers running a MARATHON for MS!!!
Cheryl, who is the queen of this badass group, has an amazing story. She was diagnosed in 1995 and claims that she was “shy and didn’t share her story for many years.” But then one day she was sitting a beer garden with her husband and she announced to him that she wanted to be the first MSer to run 7 marathons on 7 continents. Now I don’t know about YOU, but thinking about running 7 marathons is NOT something I have EVER done and certainly NOT while sitting in a beer garden!!! She said her husband was in support of the idea – but did admit that he had had a few beers by that point.
She wanted to raise money for the National MS Society “because they had done so much for her” during her years of living “silently” with the disease. She began researching, finding races at times and in places that she could get to. She made all the arrangements herself and in Sydney on 9/16/17, which was exactly one year from the first marathon in Cape Town, South Africa, she completed her goal. Actually, she ran 8 marathons because she is apparently very thorough (ie anal) and decided to run a bonus marathon in New Zealand because scientists say the country is its own continent!
You can read more about her 7 on 7 journey and see photos of her amazing races on her blog. All done and said over the course of two years, she raised $46,716 in cash and in-kind donations – she had reached her goal AND accomplished something that ANYONE would be proud of achieving!!!
Truly fucking amazing in my humble opinion!
You can also see the five-minute promotional video that was created to share her story HERE
BUT she wasn’t done! She began to brainstorm another MS/Running event. As her story was shared, she began to have other MSers that run reach out to her and she began thinking wouldn’t it be awesome to have a whole GROUP of MSers run a marathon together!?!?! Again NOT something I have EVER thought – but that’s just me:)
Once again, she began researching and eventually decided on the Detroit Michigan marathon. Through social media and contacts she made during her 7 for 7 adventures, she began to gather a group. To date they have 20 MSers and 22 others registered to run.
****Just a reminder….IF any of what I have written up to this point has sparked an interest. If you are an MSer that runs and you think you might want to be a part of this amazing event – they would LOVE to have more members join in – Truth be told, I am actually thinking about going – there is apparently a 5K walk/run, and now that I am actually tracking my distances on my daily #cannabispowered walks and I am up to about 4 miles, I am feeling like it might actually be something I could do!****
If you are a runner – but aren’t completely sold on how amazing this event is going to be – let me tell you about a few of the individuals that have signed up to run with Cheryl and the team. Maybe after reading about their amazing stories, you will be inclined to be one of them?
First there is Nora- I’m kinda obsessed with Nora at the moment. I had the chance to talk with her on the phone a few weeks ago, and I can’t tell you how many times I have thought of her since then. She is simply put – a true badass – and here is why.
Nora was diagnosed September 29th, 2015. She was a 37 year old mom of 2 kids, and she was overweight. Not slightly out of shape – she weighed 350 lbs. Rather than take the dx lying down, she realized that things had to change. She went straight to google to look up MS & diet. She began following the Paleo diet and she dropped 100 lbs in a year! By simply adjusting what she put in her body, the weight began to “fall off.” During that year, her goal “was to make my body a place that made it hard for the disease to thrive.” In the fall of 2016, a year after being diagnosed the 100 lb lighter version of Nora began to incorporate exercise into her life.
Via social media, she stumbled upon Cheryl’s story and she was inspired. She and her husband began training and completed their first ½ marathon in April. Since then the pounds have continued to come off, she is down to 165 lbs, which means she lost 180 lbs in 18 months!!!!
Nora is super excited about her trip to Detroit, she is proud of her accomplishments and is looking forward to completing her first marathon but more than all of that, she is excited to finally meet Cheryl face to face. “She is kinda my idol” she admitted – which I completely GET – when we find someone else living with this disease, actually DOING the things we long to be doing – it inspires you! She assures me she has set realistic expectations and is just excited to be running with such an amazing group of people from all different walks of life.
Follow her journey over on her blog Not Today MS.
Next there is Gary. He lives in Annapolis, has two children ages 20 and 22 and has lived with Multiple Sclerosis for the past 22 years. In his earlier life, before MS he was a runner. He was on the cross country team in high school and was on his college track team. But raising a family and work commitments led to him giving up running.
Until 12 years after his diagnosis when a close personal friend challenged him to do a ½ marathon. He began training again and was hooked. He explained that he heard about Cheryl when she was interviewed about the Sydney marathon, and he reached out to her. When asked what message he would want to give others living with MS – his answer was “don’t stop moving! Move in someway….find something you can do and MOVE!
You can read more about Gary in this recent article on the National MS Society blog. He tells the story of completing Pikes Peak Ascent (PPA), a half marathon that ranges from an elevation of 6,300 feet in Manitou Springs, CO to the 14,115 feet summit of Pikes Peak, and reached the Cirque Aid Station.
Last but certainly not least is Emily’s story. She has lived with MS for the past 12 years. At the age of 17, as she learned she had been granted an athletic scholarship at Dallas Baptist University to play soccer for their team – she was told she had this incurable disease. Fortunately for her- her doctor told her to STAY ACTIVE. She was encouraged to keep playing soccer AND it ended up that another teammate had MS and a result the coaching staff was very intune to helping her maximize her training while continuing to care for her body and the disease. She went on to will ALL AMERICAN GOAL KEEPER!!!!
She now teaches an adaptive MS class called Keep Moving with Emily. It is specifically tailored to people living with MS. Her motto is “no matter what your limitation, you can keep moving!’ She was super excited to find the group as it ‘gave me something to train for again.’ She mentions that 5 miles is the longest distance she has logged, so she decided to sign up for the relay marathon – and noted that she signed up for the last leg of the race so that she can say HONESTLY “I FINISHED a marathon!!!!” THIS is a lady after my own heart!!!!
Check out her You Tube Video Here
You can also find her over on her Facebook Group: Moving With Emily: MS Exercise
All of these people, of different ages and different abilities are all getting together and running a marathon. I just keep saying that to myself as I work on this post. Because any way you look at it – whether you are or have ever been a runner or you have never run a minute in your life the simple fact is that this is AWESOME!
AGAIN….if you have ever THOUGHT about doing a marathon (or one of the shorter distances) this is an opportunity of a lifetime for MSers – to run with that many other people that ‘get it” – people that KNOW how much more effort it takes for people living with chronic illnesses to actually be “do-ers” IF you have any interest in joining them or you just want to reach out to the group, they can be found over on Facebook – their group is Run a Myelin My Shoes.
Also, my latest article for California Weed Blog is up- go give it a read:)
My Cannabis Story: On the Road to Healing Naturally
**This is my personal blog and all opinions are my own. I am not a doctor, nor do I play one here on my blog. The content here is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of medical professionals. Be sure to contact your doctor before trying any new medications/vitamins/supplements, physical activities or therapies **
Great post! I think it is amazing too when MSers are able to push themselves to do amazing things! This marathon is an inspiration to us all. I jog 20-25 minutes daily and I have been doing so for the past 4 years, missing a day only occasionally, when I absolutely had to. I have not, however, ever ran a marathon in my life. I have had MS since 2010 and I am currently blessed to be med-free since my diagnosis. I think that my diet and exercise are the help I need. I hope you are doing well and it is nice to meet you through this blog. 🙂
Hey Christy! Thanks for stopping by and for sharing! Keep on moving – I learned the hard way what can happen when you stop. Thankfully I am on my way back to being physically fit and strong and have promised myself to NEVER let it happen again. I intend to be the bad ass 90 yr old doing yoga on our fishing boat:)
Cheers!
Meg
You go Meg! That’s the spirit! 🙌
You are badass yourself, Meg! Yup. YOU. And I am glad to know you.
🙂 you do realize that I am eventually going to show up on your doorstep and terrorize you with my loud, incessant talking:)
xoxo
Meg
Very inspiring Meg! Great post! I won’t be running a marathon anytime soon, but I AM excited that golfing season is upon us lol!
Raegan
🙂 I am NOT a golfer – but I do a damn good job of smoking my cannabis and driving the cart while Shawn golfs – so I guess you could say I at least “enjoy” golfing?:)
Love the title of your new category and the phrase ‘life is one continuous hack’. Feeling that. You are awesome! I am focusing on the positive in my blog, also. We all need the boost! Lowen @ livingpositivelywithdisability.com
Been there, done that
I have MS
…and I hate ( a strong word )
MS
Ok !!!!
I was able to hear/ see Cheryl speak at a MS dinner. Such an inspiring story. I think she is at this one I am going to tomorrow night as well 🙂 Small world!
You are welcome! It is sometimes very difficult to stay focused with the issues we battle daily! It gets frustrating!
Thank you! I was pretty shocked about the Top 50 thing. Do you have any idea how that happens?
Unfortunately I don’t. I have been on a few over the years but never know how exactly it happens. I am sure it has to do with google search and seo – both of which I know very little about:)
No worries, I understand! I guess it is a compliment, right?!
Thank you for sharing this amazing post! You are pretty incredible!!! In my post for tomorrow, I mentioned you because I just received the Top 50 MS Blogs and I saw you were on it as well. I always appreciate what you have to say about the fun illness we battle daily! You are a very strong and admirable woman!!
AWE thanks Alyssa- Needed that today as I struggle to stay focused and try to actually get shit done:) Congrts on the Top 50 thing – that is awesome!
xoxo
BBH