Firstly, help! What am I doing?! 

In May I will be running the EMF Half Marathon and raising money and awareness for the MS Society. The money raised will go towards research to help find the cause of MS and hopefully one day stopping it before it progresses further.

Until recently I didn't really know what MS was or how it can affect people. Multiple Sclerosis is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord. A substance called myelin protects nerve fibres in the central nervous system which is the connection between everything in the body. The immune system mistakes myelin to be something negative and attacks it. If the nerves become damaged then the messages can be disrupted or broken and this causes many symptoms to those diagnosed with MS. These symptoms can be hand tremors, problems with balance, eyesight issues, numbness to limbs, fatigue and memory issues. At this point there is no way to tell what causes MS so there is no cure however there are many treatments available to help those diagnosed.

I became part of someone else’s MS story when I met Alice. Diagnosed at the young age of 19 back in 2017, I couldn’t believe this person in front of me now has this life long condition with all these symptoms surrounding it. Throughout this last year I have learnt a lot more about MS. I have witnessed Alice’s symptoms and how frightening it can be.

I was so proud of her when she completed the Half Marathon herself last year. Throughout her training before the event, she did lose sight in her eye momentarily on several occasions and her leg went numb and she had to return home. That didn’t stop her getting to the finish line and absolutely smashing it. She is a very strong, determined person and didn’t let her body stop her from doing something amazing.

I know she does fear what her body will still allow her to do a year from now, but that gives her such motivation not to wait around for the things she wants to do and just do them now. So that’s why I am running the half marathon this year. For her. She is truly an inspiration to anybody who has been diagnosed with a life long condition, especially young people, to keep going and not let it stop you from doing the things you really want to.