Next week, a woman from the local area will embark on an incredible challenge. Beginning on Sunday in Van Wert and concluding on Friday in Cuyahoga Falls, she will run an astonishing 177 miles in just six days. This remarkable feat is almost the entire length of the state of Ohio!
As part of a countrywide relay run hosted by the nonprofit organization MS Run the US, a team of 21 individuals will cover a total distance of 3,260 miles from California to New York.
All the runners who participated in the event have successfully raised a minimum of $10,000. The funds raised through the event will be utilized to support research, create awareness and assist individuals who are living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). These individuals require wheelchairs or modifications to their homes to make their lives easier.
Runner Carmen McCane has shared her strong determination to test the limits of her body. She expressed her goal of completing 100 miles in the first three days and having only 77 miles left for the last three days. “I just want to see how far I can push my body before it can’t go anymore,” she said.
Having witnessed the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) on her mother, Kerry, Carmen knows firsthand how this condition can impair the central nervous system and strip away vital bodily functions. It has been 20 years since Kerry was diagnosed with MS, and Carmen has seen the debilitating effects it can have.
“It’s been incredibly difficult to watch MS take away the woman I knew as a child over the years,” she expressed. “I witnessed a woman who was an epitome of hard work. She took care of me, my dad, and all her patients with utmost dedication. However, MS has stripped away every aspect of her quality of life.”
Kerry used to work as a nurse in Cincinnati before she was diagnosed with MS. However, the diagnosis forced her to retire early and her body gradually lost functions.
“My thing is, if I can help raise awareness, then the six days of me being uncomfortable and in pain is nothing compared to what my mom or people living with MS deal with every day,” she said.
According to McCane, his wife hardly ever steps out of the house. This has resulted in her missing out on important events such as watching their daughter play lacrosse or attending her gymnastics meet.
Despite the fact that a cure for MS may not be available during her mother’s lifetime, Carmen is determined to make a positive impact by assisting other families in improving their quality of life. This mindset enables her to persevere through the six days of pain and temptation to give up.
She expressed the importance of focusing on everyday tasks to keep moving forward. “Just paying attention to everyday to make them more important so that I can keep putting one foot in front of the other,” she said.