Showing Up to Make a Difference: The Walk MS Experience
Walk MS provides circles of support for all involved.
Rosa Ynez participated in her first Walk MS in 2022 in Los Angeles. “It really opened my eyes to a world of support I didn’t know existed,” she says. “I’ll never forget that feeling. It was like a big festival with thousands of people. Very inspiring.”
Everyone has a place at Walk MS – whether you live with MS, love someone who does, or are a part of the wider community. Each event culminates with a program that serves as a visible reminder that every person living with MS is supported.Says Johnson: “After I got MS, I went blind in one eye, I could not hear out of one ear, I could not stay awake for more than half an hour at a time, and I couldn’t even really walk very well at all. Fortunately, I got on one of the medicines that began relieving symptoms right away and now I walk fine. So, now I am passionate about these walks and fundraising for others.”Anuska Ullal was diagnosed with MS in 2008, and participated in her first Walk MS in Denver, Colorado, where she used to live. “I didn’t know what to expect and was just blown away how many people were there,” she recalls. “ I saw people who were at all stages of MS — those were walking OK, those in wheelchairs and so on. My own symptoms are mostly internal. I get flareups of tingling and numbness, some cognitive issues and moments when I lose some motor skills, but I’m doing pretty well.” When Ullal moved to her new hometown, her enthusiasm continued, and she created a new team she named Team Tortuga.“I have to say that these Walks are so important in creating community and sustaining those of us who have MS,” Ullal says. “The energy you feel there is something that can bring you back when you’re having a bad day. It seems that everyone knows someone with MS, and it is so moving and humbling to see them come out to support their loved ones and friends.”
