Having a Crack

Credit Image to Created by Kat Tammy & Jussy are jumping with joy at having a crack at making a difference to help MS Queensland.

Just for a minute, close your eyes. Listen. Smell. Touch what is around you. Think, if a stranger approached you now, how would you greet them? Would you judge them? Would they judge you?

This is one of the many processes I have been through over the past year. I realised early on in the journey of losing vision that a world with no sight, was a peaceful world, one without judgment & potentially without war.....at least until humans evolved to once again be at war with the senses available. At least that was my perspective because I can't see the odd expressions people pull at me, so I just follow my own beat.

I guess one of the reasons I have embarked on this journey of 100Kms to Utopia is to push myself & show other people that life is for living. I admit life has not always felt for living, but it is now & I am sure making the most of it.

The journey I am embarking on with the strong support of my support worker Tammy, also on horseback and Julie, ground support, is to ride my horse from Hervey Bay to Mt Walsh National Park. Just the entry of the National Park, and from there we will disembark and make the short walk to the Waterfall & Rock Pools.

This journey will take 4 days & will without a doubt be the most challenging physical endurance I have put my body through in the past decade since being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2012.

We aim to ride in the morning & afternoons, to avoid the midday sun & to be able to rest in the middle of the day. Some of the symptoms which flare up when I push myself physically are numbness, heavy limbs, incontinence, poor thinking, poor communication, increased blindness, loss of strength. This is just a few but basically your body breaks down. To combat this we are pacing ourselves & making sure there is a lot of rest & hydration along the way, & a few supportive hands to help me get on & off the horse etc.

Your support in donating to our event goes directly to MS Queensland. Without MS Queensland life for people with MS would be significantly different. MS being such a complex disease which progresses at a different rate for each person, the support services & individual adjustments to life are equally as complex. MS Queensland collates the resources, provides tailored services & works with Cure MS to research to find a cure.

4 people are diagnosed in Australia every day. Usually aged between 30-40. For me I was 39 when diagnosed but I suspect I had MS most of my life.

Out of every 4 people diagnosed, 3 are women.

Thank you for taking the time to read this short message & to support simply follow this link to donate. You may like to see the blog we are keeping on the MS Qld site also as we journey along.

Our goal is $20,000 but already feel like we have won because we are having a crack.

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