READERSUCCESS
WORDS:
Emma
Lewis
We
spoke
to
Ali
as
part
of
the
tenth-anniversary
campaign
for
Shift.ms
asocial
networking
site
for
people
with
MS.
‘I
t allstartedaftera nightout
withfriendsinNovember
2015,whenI was27.Wehad
dinneranda coupleofdrinks,
butthenI washuggingthe
toiletmostofthenightandI wokeup
thenextdaywitha numbfoot.Atfirst,
I thoughtI’dtrappeda nerveinmyback,
butwithintwoweeks,thenumbness
hadspreadupmylegsandintoone
arm.I lostcoordinationandbalance
andexperienced“footdrop”ora limp
foot,too.
‘Therewasnolead-upthatI’dnoticedand,
at first,I blamedmyselfandthoughtmaybe
the alcohol had affected me, but I’m really
not a big drinker. My mum is a doctor and
she knew what it was after seeing my brain
scan – she sent me straight to a private
doctor. By this time, I’d diagnosed myself
after looking up the symptoms (for instance,
I also felt “electric shocks” when I tilted
my head) and the doctor confirmed that
I had MS in March 2016. I was due to get
married that summer, and, when I left
the doctor’s, I went straight to Harrods and
bought a really expensive pair of shoes to
walk down the aisle in, even though I couldn’t
really walk at that point!
‘I wasn’t put on medication straight away
though, due to a long waiting list, and was
quite low for six months as I realised my
life would never be the
same again. Luckily, the
wedding was absolutely
perfect – I was given a
drug called Pregabalin
to help with the Bells
Palsy-like symptoms,
foot drop and other
symptoms I was
experiencing, so I was able to walk down
the aisle in my dream wedding shoes.’FINDING SUPPORT
‘I was working as an accountant when
I was diagnosed, but moved to a charity for
disabled children called Treloar’s (treloar.org.
uk), who were more understanding about my
condition, and I loved it. I also discovered
shift.ms – an online forum and community- after a Google search. It’s been a great
supporttome,withinformationon
treatmentandanupbeatattitude,
whichI love.I nowtakeonepill
a day,plusvitaminD,
whichhelpskeep
mysymptomsunder
control.I alsogetmy
bloodcheckedregularly
tokeepaneyeon
side-effectsof
thedrug.’BUILDING
STRENGTH
‘I didathleticsuptotheage
of 17 to county/National
school level, but I gave up
to pursue show jumping.
I competed up to 1.40m at a National level.
I went back to athletics around six months
after being diagnosed. The doctors told me
getting fitter and stronger would help me.
To stay motivated I have to do something
that I enjoy, and some of my favourite
childhood memories were doing athletics,
which is why I went back to the sport.
Athletics not only improved my physical
strength, but really helped my mental health
too and helped me get my confidence back
post-diagnosis. I do 100m, 200m, 400m
and long jump.
‘Amazingly, I won a silver medal in the
400m at the WPA European
Championships last summer,
and was askedby
GB Athletics
last November
if I wanted to
become fully
professional,
so they now
fund me to train for the 400m.
I’m in the T38 category, which
is for people who are able to
walk but have neurological
impairments. I’m training
for the Dubai World
Championships at the
end of this year, and the
Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
‘I train on the track three
times a week, and at the gymthreetofourtimesa week, if I can –
I enjoy training and love weight lifting and
plyometrics. I don’t put any pressure on
myself, though, so if I feel really tired, I won’t
train. I always have an afternoon nap after
workouts, too, and a weekly physio session
to help loosen my left side. I’m not on a
special diet or anything – I love food too
much. My motto is “be happy and don’t put
too much pressure on yourself”.’A NEW PERSPECTIVE
‘MS has given me a different perspective on
life and taught me not to take anything for
granted. Since diagnosis, I am somehow
healthier in my body and mind. I have greater
appreciation for small victories, such as
completing a full week of training. My MS
diagnosishasopened a new world of
para-sport and I’ve been
lucky enough to take up the
sport full-time, for which I’m
very grateful.
‘I have secondary
progressive MS (SPMS),
where the lesions on my
brain stay and scar it, so who
knows what will happen in
the future. I’m a positive
person, though, and am
happy for now, so I don’t
think too far ahead.
‘I will always try to do the
best with what I’ve got, so
if things get worse, I’ll just
keep trying!’ ■ALI’S
TOP TIPS‘Make a conscious effort
to find the positive side
when things don’t go the
way you wanted.’‘You can only do your
best, so do the best with
what you have.’‘Be kind to yourself- always.’
‘Since diagnosis,
I’m healthier
in my body and
mind. My motto
is “be happy”.’Ali hadherperfectweddingday,and even woreherfavouriteshoes!Ali is in training for
the World Champs
and the Tokyo
2020 OlympicsAli Smith, 30, is a member of the GB Athletics squad T38
category, despite her challenging condition‘MS has changed my
life for the better’