Vickie walked 300,000 steps with her Australian Cattle dog Bunjie by her side, motivated by a desire to give back to Overcoming MS.
I first came across the Overcoming MS Program right after my diagnosis and it was my first bit of hope in a very dark time for me. I felt like all I heard from my doctors was that I had a “progressive, degenerative, incurable disease”. It was so very depressing. I felt like I was doomed to a future of decline and that my only option was immunomodulating drugs that came with many scary side effects.
I immediately ordered the Overcoming MS book and devoured it as soon as it came in. It gave me the tools to continue on this journey and help me manage my symptoms, medication side effects, and possibly prevent progression!
I am so grateful for this and I wanted to support Overcoming MS in return for all it has done for me, and that’s why I joined the 300 Challenge.
The 300 Challenge offered me an opportunity to support Overcoming MS while setting a personal goal that motivated me to keep moving forward. I chose to walk 300,000 steps in June, alongside my ever-energetic Australian Cattle Dog, Bunji the Blue Heeler. I had adopted Bunji the previous year in part to help me keep moving. He is a very active breed and needs to be walked and played with daily. He was more than up for the challenge!
However, walking an average of 10,000 steps was a stretch some days. It can be difficult for me to stay this active as my MS symptoms include fatigue, spasms, and weakness on my left side. Yet I know how much better I feel when I stay consistent with my exercise, so I was determined to complete it.
June can be very hot where I live so I had to plan around the heat. We often took our walks early to avoid the hottest part of the day. We also made good use of the wooded trails close to our home to help keep cool in the shade of the trees.
I made sure to stretch regularly during the challenge to ease the tight muscles and keep the spasms at bay. I fueled myself with the most nutrient dense whole foods I could find to help keep my energy up and keep the fatigue from slowing us down. Keeping well hydrated and sipping ice cold water during some of our longer hikes helped as well.
There were a few days when family or work obligations or the weather interfered with us getting out and getting our steps in so we had to make up the steps on other days. There were times where I had to push myself to get to my desired number of steps and it was hard, but Bunji is always ready to do more so he became my motivation on those days. He is so happy when he is roaming the woods with me. He is a great motivator!
Asking for donations was probably the hardest part for me, but sharing your story is incredibly powerful. I turned to social media, posting about how much Overcoming MS has meant to me. I highlighted that Overcoming MS is the world’s leading MS healthy lifestyle charity, helping people with MS to live well by making informed lifestyle choices, and bringing hope to those diagnosed, their families, friends and communities.
I posted regular updates throughout the month with pictures and videos of me and Bunji. People really responded to the pictures.
My biggest advice? Don’t be discouraged if donations start slow. Much of what I raised came in at the very end. Keep posting and keep sharing how impactful Overcoming MS has been. Sharing our stories is the best way to show how helpful the Program is.
If you’re thinking about taking part but aren’t sure, I encourage you to dive in. The beauty of the 300 Challenge is its flexibility – it doesn’t have to be a physical activity like I did with Bunji. It can be something that you are passionate about. Maybe 30 hours of donated time during the month. Or knitting 30 scarves. Making 300 healthy cookies to donate. Sharing 30 pictures of what you do daily to live well with your MS from the Program, like food, exercise, mindfulness, or taking your supplements.
January may bring cold and dark days for those in the UK, Europe, and North America, but that’s no reason to shy away. In Australia you might be battling the heat like I was. Here are some tips to keep going:
Are you ready to take on the 300 Challenge this January? Remember your challenge doesn’t need to be physical and it should be tailored to you. Click here to sign up today, set your goal, and start your journey to making a difference.
