Thank you Redbull for thh Opportunity to compete!!!
Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:09 pm
My name is Morad, Im 32, was diagnosed with MS in 2001, It has been a long and arduous battle. I went from having pins and needles in my left foot, to not being able to use the entire left side of my body in a period of 2 months. I ended up falling over my good leg, breaking it. Shortly after, while in the hospital, I was diagnosed with MS. Currently, I take rebif, amantadine, gabapentin, oybutinin, all the ususal suspects...to manage my symptoms.
I wanted to thank the good people (thanks Sonya! You made my season!)the Redbull Exodus Mass start downhill mountainbike race in Whistler Bc, last august. I asked them to make a special concession to give me the opportunity to try. It was a dream come true, to compete in an event with some of the most talented riders in the world. I was told that anyone who completed the course would qualify, and your qulifying time dictated your position in the pack. I qualifyed, it wasnt pretty, I took some gruesome bails and swore like a sailor, but i finished. I was I was at the back of the pack, and it took alot out of me, but what it put back in was the conviction that I am not going to be a victim, and I can still muster the power and the strength to overcome anything. I couldnt care less that I was almost last (I did beat a few ppl!), the feeling I had crossing under the resbull banner at the base of whistler made me feel like I came in first. 2000 vertical metres, top of the Whistler Peak, to the village on some of the most technical singletrack, 4 degrees (cel.), torremntial rain, fogged in, it was perfect!
Redbull has a rep for supporting any extreme event, but the concessions they made to give me the opportunity makes me want to train for it next year.
My advice, dont let fatigue rob you of life, easy to say, believe me I know what it is like. Try to stay as active as you can, whether it a short walk, a swim, whatever. When you open your eyes in the morning or afternoon, and the only thing you feel like you have the energy to do is close them again - sit up slowly, gather yourself, take your meds and get out of the house. Even if its to go and sit outside and reada newspaper, or watch TV...
Fight it, always try to fight
I wanted to thank the good people (thanks Sonya! You made my season!)the Redbull Exodus Mass start downhill mountainbike race in Whistler Bc, last august. I asked them to make a special concession to give me the opportunity to try. It was a dream come true, to compete in an event with some of the most talented riders in the world. I was told that anyone who completed the course would qualify, and your qulifying time dictated your position in the pack. I qualifyed, it wasnt pretty, I took some gruesome bails and swore like a sailor, but i finished. I was I was at the back of the pack, and it took alot out of me, but what it put back in was the conviction that I am not going to be a victim, and I can still muster the power and the strength to overcome anything. I couldnt care less that I was almost last (I did beat a few ppl!), the feeling I had crossing under the resbull banner at the base of whistler made me feel like I came in first. 2000 vertical metres, top of the Whistler Peak, to the village on some of the most technical singletrack, 4 degrees (cel.), torremntial rain, fogged in, it was perfect!
Redbull has a rep for supporting any extreme event, but the concessions they made to give me the opportunity makes me want to train for it next year.
My advice, dont let fatigue rob you of life, easy to say, believe me I know what it is like. Try to stay as active as you can, whether it a short walk, a swim, whatever. When you open your eyes in the morning or afternoon, and the only thing you feel like you have the energy to do is close them again - sit up slowly, gather yourself, take your meds and get out of the house. Even if its to go and sit outside and reada newspaper, or watch TV...
Fight it, always try to fight
