INSPO Fitness Journal October 2017

WALKING
FOR A CAUSE
It’s easy when you’re fit, healthy,
mobile and well, to take your body’s
ability to do what you ask of it for
granted.
BY ALISON STOREY
An athlete often must fight their brain
and thought processes to push themselves
through physical barriers to win,
and to be psychologically strong enough to
perform on the world stage without crumbling
under pressure.
Imagine then if your thoughts and brain
were willing, but for no reason at all your body
started to shut down, not do what you ask of
it, and there was absolutely nothing you could
do about it.
Motor neurone disease (MND) causes the
muscles that enable us to move, speak, swallow
and breathe, to gradually stop working, and
there is no cure.
MND is known as ALS in some countries
(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is the most
common type of MND), and in the United
States they call it Lou Gehrig disease (after the
well-known baseball player of the 20s and 30s,
who was one of the first high profile personalities
to die of the disease aged 37).
Diagnosis brings with it a life expectancy
of less than three years, although arguably
with some cruelty the disease does not impair
mental function; the motor function of the
central nervous system is destroyed, but the
mind remains fully aware to the end.
Put simply, the neurons in the brain stem
that are supposed to send the messages to the
muscles, don’t, and it’s only in hindsight that
symptoms and signs become obvious.
In Lou Gehrig’s case a pronounced drop
in form and hitting power, for no reason his
coaches, trainers or himself could discern,
finally led him to a hospital for tests and a
consequently heart breaking diagnosis. MND
can affect anyone and its cause is entirely
unknown. It’s not contagious and there are no
risk factors or predisposing genes. Every week,
another two people are diagnosed and in 2011,
one in every 200 deaths in New Zealand was
due to MND.
The infamous ‘ice bucket challenge’ that
did the rounds of social media a few years ago,
became a successful awareness program and
global fundraiser for the cause.
In New Zealand “Walk 2 D’Feet MND” is
the annual fundraiser for MND New Zealand,
with walks held in 16 towns and cities all over
the country on Sunday 12 November 2017. In
Hamilton, the walk is around Lake Rotoroa,
starting from Innes Common at 10am.
Half of the money raised at each walk
goes to the MND Research Fund to encourage
research in New Zealand. The remaining
funds are a major contributor to the donation
income that MND New Zealand depends
upon to continue its vital free service that
helps sufferers and their families with advice,
support and care.
MND is an extraordinarily debilitating
disease that can be very isolating for people
and their carers, and the Walk 2 D'Feet MND
events aim to show people they aren't alone.
They connect and empower people and
families who are facing a tremendous challenge,
and people from all walks of life find
strength together, united by their experiences
with MND. Walkers not directly affected by
MND can create hope for those that are by
fundraising – financing research to find a cure
is the only hope.
Go to mnda.org.nz/walk/ to find out about
the walk, buy a ticket and a t-shirt, and make a
donation. And come and see me at the Hamilton
walk, so I can thank you for supporting
this cause that is very close to my heart.
I shudder to think about the social media
trolling that may have happened had Lou
Gehrig been alive today and had an obvious
pronounced and unexplained drop in sporting
form. So next time an athlete is not performing
on the world stage as you might expect,
perhaps first stop and think, and be happy for
them, and yourself, that you can at least move,
speak, swallow and breathe.
You only have one life, live it to the very
best of your ability.
About MND New Zealand
MND New Zealand works with people
living with MND to enable them to have
the best quality of life possible.
It provides a crucial free support service
that helps people with MND access the
medical expertise and equipment they
need, and provides consistent support
through all stages of the disease.
MND New Zealand is a small
organisation that depends upon
fundraising and donations to continue
this service. Only 10% of its funding
comes from the Ministry of Health.
ALISON STOREY is a personal trainer who has represented New Zealand in three
different sports (beach volleyball, rowing and rhythmic gymnastics). She has been
awarded New Zealand Personal Trainer of the Year twice and runs Storey Sport, a
mobile personal and sports training business which provides a range of services that
optimise the fitness and wellbeing of its clients. storeysport.co.nz
INSPO – FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2017
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