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Carrie Dokis is the Education Director with the North Bay & District Unit of the MS Society. This past weekend, she rode in the RONA MS Bike Tour - Grand Bend to London - as an MS Champion, a cyclist who lives with MS. Carrie shares some of her thoughts on her unique experience, and why she rides in the RONA MS Bike Tours.
Tell us a bit about your experience with multiple sclerosis?I was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in May 2008. After my second daughter was born, I experienced various symptoms off and on for two and a half years before my diagnosis. Thankfully, my symptoms were quite mild, and I have suffered no lasting effects from them. Being essentially symptom-free, I don’t seem to fit many people’s stereotype of someone with MS.
How did you first get involved with the RONA MS Bike Tours?I first discovered the RONA MS Bike Tours shortly after I was diagnosed, on the MS Society of Canada’s website. I love cycling, and knew that both as a donor and a fundraiser, this would be a good fit for me. This year, I rode in my second Grand Bend to London Tour.
How did you manage your MS during training, and on Tour day?During training, I try to schedule my rides for the cooler parts of the day, and stay well hydrated. I try as much as possible to listen to my body and give it the rest it needs. Last year, I gave myself two days completely off from training before Tour day, and I plan to do the same again this year.
What does being a participant with MS (an MS Champion) mean to you?I ride for three reasons. I ride to give a face to this disease so that my fellow riders, as well as my family and friends, realize that a diagnosis of MS is not necessarily a sentence to a life of disability. I ride in honour of all those with MS who are struggling much more than I, and who are physically unable to join us out on the roads. Finally, I ride for my two young daughters, with the heartfelt confidence that, by the time they are adults, the money I help raise now will have funded the research that found the cure for MS.