This fundraising legend raised an incredible $1,052.20 last year for MS research and she’s back this year with you.
Elsa says, “The May 50K means a lot to me because I have MS myself. The thought that this is all going toward a better tomorrow is incredible.”
Elsa takes part in her own way, riding her horse the 50km distance throughout May.
Elsa was diagnosed at just 18 years old.
She’d been struggling with various symptoms for years and was initially dismissed by doctors.
When she finally found a great doctor, she was sent for MRIs and diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Finally, her symptoms made sense.
“My left hand in a couple of my fingers started going numb. I thought I slept funny. Then I started to lose feeling in right hand, foot, leg and right toes. My balance and coordination went really funny when I was trying to ride my horse.”
Elsa says she had many symptoms including digestive issues and heat intolerance.
"It was awful.”
When she got her MS diagnosis, it almost came as a relief.
“Everything finally clicked. It was a relief in a way because I had no idea what was going on with me. I’d been struggling for a while.”
Elsa still lives with numbness in her left hand, but with treatment her balance & coordination is getting better.
“It’s been a long 12 months but it’s incredible how quickly things can change with treatment.”
Elsa describes herself as “too stubborn for my own good sometimes”, and this attitude meant she was never going to give up horse riding.
“I was competitively riding even though my balance was terrible.”
But it’s not without difficulty.
“There are so many things that people don’t know about MS. It’s actually surprising. It really is an invisible illness. A few times people haven't realised I actually have MS.”
“It’s a struggle. I’ve been out in competition and overheated and had meltdowns. Thankfully, I've found ways to manage it. I drench myself in water and keep going. It works like a charm.”
For Elsa the diagnosis of MS took a while to sink in and she struggled with her mental health.
“But I am coming out the other side. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.”
She loves that everyone comes together for The May 50K raising funds for a future without MS.
“I think it’s fantastic that this money is going to research. It’s something that’s so unknown still and so common. It can be invisible so no one realises how common it is. Hopefully one day there’s a cure.”
