GYMGUYZ Williamsburg is the local presenting sponsor of National Multiple Sclerosis Walk on May 1st. GYMGUYZ owner Kristin Doherty has walked for over ten years and has raised over $20,000 to honor her mom, Sandra Strauss, who passed away from MS.
My mom, Sandra Strauss, passed away at 59 years after a brave 30-year battle with MS. She was diagnosed shortly after I was born and lived her life without apologies. She did not want to be treated like she had any disabilities and made the most of her life. She loved to joke for her 50th instead of a fun convertible car she got a walker.
As I approach my 40th birthday this year, it is very humbling to realize she was in the prime of her life when this disease slowly took away a lot of things from her like her energy, her balance, her mobility, her short-term memory and a host of other things we take for granted. When you get up and dressed in the morning and make your own breakfast, it is amazing to know that those tasks are not so simple for many people living with MS. Over 1 million Americans are living with MS daily and most are women diagnosed between the ages of 20 to 50 years.
My mother loved her family, friends and staying active. She was an amazing skier and loved walking every day and swimming in nice weather. Even when she had a walker or used a wheelchair, she made an effort to stay active everyday of her life. She did one-on-one yoga the last few years to help with her balance and mobility and seeing her improvement and self-confidence grow is one of the reasons I invested in GYMGUYZ.
I have walked for over 10 years for the MS society to raise awareness and funds to help us find a cure, and I have been on two local leadership committees the last several years. The MS Society’s current mission is to find a cure and I won’t stop until this happens in my lifetime. This year’s walk is virtual on May 1, 2021 and my GYMGUYZ team’s goal is to raise $7,000 which we have already surpassed. Please join our team to raise awareness and funds for MS.
Join our team:
Walk MS: Williamsburg 2021: GYMGUYZ Williamsburg - National MS Society
