19 miles

The first year I walked in Challenge Walk, I walked most of the way with a woman named Sarah.*  The mother of two, Sarah has MS.  We started off around the same pace and fell into step (and conversation) with each other easily.  As a first year walker, I didn't know any of the other participants, and Sarah was incredibly easy to speak with and eager for conversation.  We stopped every few miles for snacks and bathroom breaks, but the day was pretty uneventful.  Until we were just a few miles from the overnight location.  Sarah was starting to feel a little tired, and so she was thinking of hitching a ride with a SAG (Support And Gear) vehicle for the end of the day.  I wanted to keep walking, and so we decided to part ways.  But before we did, she said something that stuck with me.

"My goal today was just to walk the first three miles.  Instead I walked 19.  And I wouldn't have been able to do it without you helping me along."

I didn't think I had done anything out of the ordinary, but just having me there had really made a difference for Sarah.  It helped her push herself on for 19 miles when she had fully expected to only be able to walk three.  And I realized something: for me, yes, Challenge Walk is about raising funds and awareness, but mostly it is about being there.  By just walking, we are sending a clear message that people living with MS are not alone.  We are there to help them on their journey, and we are happy to do so.

This picture was taken during the Candlelight Ceremony during my first Challenge Walk.  Each candle represents someone's connection to multiple sclerosis.  This is why I walk.  Because while "MS stops people from moving, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society exists to make sure it doesn't."  I walk so that other people can continue to do so.  I walk so someone else can walk 19 miles instead of three.

*Out of respect to the individuals I have met through my efforts, I am using only first names in this blog.