I watch the walkers and mobility scooters follow the path. In dedication for a cause, a barrage of umbrellas snake their way along a wet harbour foreshore. Disposable rain ponchos and fancy dress teams make their way. The dedication that people give to get out and about for those of us that can’t. I am grateful and humbled. It is the ‘MS Walkathon’, though now rebranded as ‘MS Walk Run + Roll’.

I’m there on my mobility scooter with my rain jacket watching people going past. Some were saying hello to me. I thought that was odd when I am just sitting there observing. But I get it. I represent those that they walk for; a daughter, a friend. I saw only a couple of other people like me getting around on a mobility scooter during the event.

Then I saw this great TShirt. She has it. She embraces the cause; awareness. I guess we don’t all want to remind ourselves of the condition that we have. You get a bit over having to explain the ins and outs of what it is and how it affects you. The hesitation of opening up about it only to be put into a box. You cringe as you hear from a stranger about some distant relative that died from what you have. (Thanks for reminding me of the worst case scenario).

Being a warrior is how people coin things in the disability world when you have a chronic condition. Don’t throw the word out there unless you have something like it yourself as it is a bit holy grail kinda stuff. In online forums and chats if someone is having a tough time we remind each other that we’ve got this. We are warriors. We will keep on fighting. We will never give up. We give each other strength to soldier on.

Dezzie 2025