Profile of a 2010 MS Champion

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.