Hiking for MS – Final Thoughts

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Shawn

I tried to convince myself that I would not cry during my last few steps to the Mexican border, and thus completing my goal of 817 miles on the Arizona Trail. But even after all my meandering through desert, forests, and mountains, lack of uninterrupted sleep and my minimally acceptable hygiene conditions during those last two and a half months I was not hardened to the overwhelming floodgate of tears that swept over me.

I have admitted that I undertook this endeavor in a naïve fashion. I had a purpose in mind and didn’t truly consider the many obstacles that one might face: dropping out of hikers, injuries, maladies, and even getting lost to name only a few. My purpose was to inspire others and create a national awareness to a disease that I, like hundreds of others, had been diagnosed with. It was my intent to bring national awareness that could impact many lives around the world and, so even my reach was just as ambitious as an 817 mile hike.

Recently I have been asked about the highlight of my hike. I can truly say that there wasn’t any one point that was any more special than any other. The highlights were not necessarily due to my experiences on the trail. Many were due to my interactions with those who opened up their hearts, homes, and selves to us.

Those days when I was privy to walk for an individual with MS were also special times. They were reminders of how we sometimes stumble due to physical impairments and have to find the strength to pick ourselves up each time.

I learned lessons of strength, commitment, and patience as I approached the challenges of each day.

I am thankful to family and friends who supported this hike, and to the MSAA for helping us with our fundraising efforts.

Most of all, I am grateful to all of those who believed that this hike could encourage and inspire those of us who suffer from multiple sclerosis. I thank you for giving me the chance to make a difference.

Seasons Greetings. May this Holiday Season bring blessings and health to all!

Editor’s Note: To see pictures and read all of Shawn’s entries from the trail, please visit her website http://hiking4ms.org/

New Swim for MS Website Launches!

Posted on November 12, 2012 by MSAA

It’s Finally Here!

MSAA has launced our brand-new Swim for MS website! Check it out by visiting SwimForMS.org!

If you haven’t heard, Swim for MS is a national fundraiser in which volunteers are encouraged to create their own swim challenge while recruiting online donations to support MSAA and the MS community. You can participate individually or recruit other swim enthusiasts to form a team.

It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

Create your swim activity
Set your challenge goal
Recruit online donations

With our new and improved Swim for MS, you will now receive a Swim for MS Welcome Kit (coming soon) in the mail after completing your registration, which includes:

One Swim for MS t-shirt
One Swim for MS towel
20 Swim for MS wristbands

To register, please go to SwimForMS.org. After you complete your registration, select Access your Participant Center Now to create your online fundraising page! To inspire you, please check out our Swim for MS Profiles for examples of how to create your Swim for MS challenge.

Thank you for your support, and happy swimming!

Rock Out MS and Sharkfest San Diego

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Rob

After carefully mapping out the direction of Active with MS, I finally decided the first event I wanted to do to inspire MS patients to be active would be an open water swim and that swim would go to benefit MSAA. After going to a MSAA event in San Diego, I learned MSAA was recruiting volunteers for a swim fundraiser. I grew up a swimmer, I love open water races, it was too perfect to not participate. After looking at the list of local races for the year in San Diego I decided on participating in Sharkfest on October 14^th, a race that goes from the San Diego Convention Center to the Coronado Side of the Coronado Bridge, a distance of a little over a mile. While this should be a fun event for people to go to I really wanted to create an additional event that would allow me to meet more new people and have fun with my family and friends. To accomplish this I am putting together a benefit concert on October 12^th to serve as the main fundraiser for my swim.

The concert will be at Robbie’s Roadhouse Bar and Grille located at 530 N. Coast Hwy 101 Leucadia, California 92024. The talented Jesse Cox Syn-Drum will be providing live music from 6:30-10:30 and there will be a silent auction. In addition the restaurant will be donating a portion of the money spent on food and drinks to the cause as well. If you are in the area come by and say hi and join in on the fun. I’m really looking forward to this event, I’m expecting a lot of people and I really want this fundraiser to be successful for MSAA. If you can’t make it please still consider donating to my race at

http://support.mymsaa.org/site/TR/Swim1Mile/General?px=1548101&pg=personal&fr_id=1100

MS will never get the better of me, I am determined to stay strong and beat it. I hope you feel the same way. I have MS right now but I still believe there is a chance that one day I won’t. In the meantime I will continue to stay active and create events like these for MSAA and hopefully find more people to join me.

No matter how you help the MS community, thank you. Stay active, Stay positive, Go forth and beat MS.

http://activewithms.com/

Getting Started

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Shawn

My husband Bob and I started planning the “Big Hike” over a year ago, and while there were many starts and stops we are finally on our way. We spent many months planning the logistics of the hike, securing funds and training. There are so many things to think about. I know that my family has finally accepted my decision. They were concerned about my hiking solo, which not something I would have done, as I know my limitations. Then, there were concerns on being out in the “wild” for such a long period of time (at least two months). My mom, especially, didn’t realize that wild to me is being back on the streets of New York City. I do love New York but I am so accustomed to being out west that NY was analogous to “wild” for me.

My family has always been behind me, in spite of my seemingly strange adventures. Moving to Costa Rica; to Italy; studying art; becoming a banker; and a plethora of diverse changes I’ve made throughout my life.

We had a deadline for funding of August 21, 2012. About a week before the deadline I received an email from Liz Mares. She was hiking the Arizona Trail, solo, in September. I immediately reached out to her and asked if she would consider hiking with another hiker.

It turned out that we had a lot in common and our hiking pace was symmetry. Liz is an RN and also an artist. She’s from Ohio, where Bob is from and lives in Arizona now. She had Lymes Disease, and is sometimes affected, and I have MS.

Our fundraising efforts had been slow but gently it was trickling in enough to start us out, with the hopes of donations during out hike (insert link to donation page). To make sure we were able to start the journey, we dug into our own pockets the initial amount needed to begin. While Liz and I will be on the trail, my husband Bob, will be providing support by following us in a supply vehicle and posting up dates on our progress. I am also excited that my dad, of 73 years, will be joining us for three weeks! We’ve also been offered help from Trail Stewards, friends, family, and other avid hikers. And, my mom’s efforts will be in helping us fundraise, and moral support.

With so many blessings and the support of my loving and also patient husband we can now embark on this journey. Our first day on the trail was September 11. I will do my best to provide updates through my blog (Hiking for Multiple Sclerosis) and this one provided by MSAA. I hope that you will find my story inspiring and please feel free to comment or leave words of encouragement! I will do my best to respond when I can.

Exercise, Part II

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Angel Blair

“Jogging is very beneficial. It’s good for your legs and your feet. It’s also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed.”

~ Charles M. Schulz

”Never eat more than you can lift.”

~ Miss Piggy

Resolutions. Most of us have made them, and they commonly include some type of exercise plan. They usually occur in celebration of the start of a new year, to help mark new beginnings and make meaningful changes. Though we all know that resolutions may start off strong with promises, schedules and routines, they do not always last with the same enthusiastic energy. Compared to any other time of year, (Halloween resolutions are not that common), New Year’s is the identified time that marks the declaration of these resolutions, but who says they have to be created only when the clock strikes midnight?

As summer is slowly coming to a close, we are ready to embark on yet another season change. The fall brings relief from the heat but not the bitterness of winter, the start of a new school year for some, and another “beginning” for people to make changes. So as the weather gets cooler, perhaps it is time for those exercise resolutions to be resurrected, or made for the first time. Take advantage of the cooler weather by exercising outside, or enjoying outdoor activities without the overwhelming heat. What can we do so that exercise does not remain a forgotten resolution?

Exercise, Part I

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Angel Blair

“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body; it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”

– John F. Kennedy

Exercise. Honestly, we know that not everyone likes to do it. The idea of exercising can make some of us cringe at times, but it plays such a crucial part in our health. We hear it constantly from all sources; the media and our doctors. We know exercise can be good for us, yet sometimes we resent it and try to avoid it at all costs.

So how can we warm up to the idea of making exercise a part of our regular routine? Here are some ideas to make exercise a little more bearable…and maybe even fun!

*Please remember to consult with your physician before taking on a new exercise routine*

Exercise during the part of the day when you feel you have the most energy
One key word: moderation. Don’t overexert yourself; exercise at your own pace
Exercise with a friend or relative; this can make the time more enjoyable and fun
Listening to music while you exercise can be relaxing and entertaining
Pick an exercise that you enjoy; take a walk around your neighborhood, do water aerobics, take a dance class, practice yoga…

What are some ideas that you have to make exercise enjoyable?

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