Nick's volunteering story

Following an MS diagnosis, Nick set his sights on the London Marathon and turned his passion for running into a way to volunteer and give back to charity.

I discovered the MS Trust at the beginning lockdown of 2020 before I was given an official diagnosis. I was told by a stroke consultant, following an MRI and lumbar puncture, that the symptoms I was experiencing looked to be MS and that I was being referred to a neurologist for confirmation.

I felt very lost and overwhelmed with everything and made contact with the MS Trust helpline who gave me lots of information and helped me with my various questions and concerns. Following an official diagnosis from my neurologist, my MS Nurse suggested I use the MS Trust treatment tool to find out more about the various DMDs available. I've always found the website to be my first port of call and extremely useful.

During that period of time, I realised that I needed to do something positive, so started running again. Running has really helped me manage my symptoms so I decided to apply to run the London Marathon for the MS Trust in 2021. It was quite simply one of the best days of my life. It was lovely to be part of a supportive team and to give back to a charity that has helped me and my family.

I have been invited to participate in podcasts with the MS Trust Breaking it Down team to talk about exercising with MS and am currently a member of the MS Trust Involvement and Inclusion Panel.

I'm always proud to don my blue vest to raise funds for the MS Trust and currently have the London Marathon 2022 in my sights.

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