I am SO excited to announce that this year I am running the 2025 Berlin Marathon, to support the work of the MS Society!!

In December of 2024 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. It was a major shock. The day I received my diagnosis (after shedding a few tears), I knew I was not going to let this disease hold me back and instead I would use it as motivation to help bring awareness and funding to helping individuals like myself living with MS.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable condition that affects your brain and spinal cord. In MS, the coating that protects your nerves (myelin) is damaged. This causes a range of symptoms.. mine specifically were almost full body numbness/tingling, severe hip pain, and a condition called Lhermitte's Sign which is an electric shock-like feeling that runs down my spine and into my legs/feet when I look down.

Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life, but treatments and specialists can help you to manage the condition and its symptoms. Luckily I was diagnosed quickly and have a wonderful team of neurologists.

I am now learning to live life with MS. I joined a study for future generations to help researchers learn how disease modifying treatment from a young age may affect the patient over time. And anyone I have run with knows that I now need to stop running in a place that I can grab on to a fence/tree/car because my legs go fully numb when I stop moving.

Luckily, unlike some MS patients, I still have full movement and strength in my body. But, The MS Society is here to help everyone live well with MS.

Together, we are strong enough to stop MS.