Marathon of Life: The Courage to Continue

Margaret has run six marathons, two after her MS diagnosis, and she is training for her seventh coming up in January of 2009. The below story was originally published in the MS Connection from the Lone Star Chapter.

How does it feel to be a marathon runner and be told you have MS? It tests your faith in yourself. It tests your faith in God.

While living in Colorado, I met a singer at church name Michael—I had no idea he had multiple sclerosis until someone told me. I was able to speak to him one on one about this disease. He was living his dream of singing and dancing on stage, besides owning a business. Michael was so helpful and told me that no, he didn’t understand why he, we, and others had this disease, but he was using his experience with MS in a way to help and inspire others.

I discovered my inspiration quite by chance. The nurse who came out to show me, a marathoner, how to inject my medication was a marathon walker. Not only that, she too had MS, going from being in a wheelchair to walking 26 miles, 385 yards. I was in awe of her attitude—this disease was not going to stop her.

I decided then that I was going to continue with marathon running. I want to give people with MS the hope that if I can do something that is challenging to even a healthy person, then anything is possible. Having MS doesn’t mean that we have to stop living. It only means that we have to muster just a little more courage to live each day to the fullest.

For me, MS is like the “wall” at mile 20 in a marathon when your body is starting to wear out. It’s at that point that you have to make a choice: give up or tear down the wall and keep going. My choice is to push through that wall. And keep running. You can, too.