Special Road To Hope runner
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Wendy Piedimonte is a runner. Over the last decade, she has developed a passion for the sport, that now helps define who she is. But this hardcore athlete is very selective when it comes to describing herself. As a mother, wife, sister, friend and at the very bottom of her list, MS patient. Maria Hayes reports.
Esther Pauls, in the pink, shares the pavement with Wendy Piedimonte, just as she did 7-years ago, when she helped Wendy train for her first marathon. An ambitious effort, considering Wendy began showing signs of multiple sclerosis a few years earlier: “I started having this extreme pain in my right arm. That was sort of my first real symptom. Went to the doctor and they thought oh repetitive strain. And then it moved into my left arm.”
The symptoms worsened, and at times hindered her mobility. But a close friend encouraged her to focus on wellness: “We started walking. Doing a block around the neighbourhood and I thought that was a big deal. 2 km walk. And we started walking and walking and I started feeling better.”
10-years ago, she got another little push: “Then my husband he got me the Nike plus for Christmas and the Nike running shoes and he said I think you could run a little bit.”
Two kilometres turned into 4, then to 5, and then 30k in the Around the Bay Road race. The progression is inspiring, but not surprising to running experts: Now that she’s started running, and she does long distance running she does feel better. So why not do it. Why not try it.”
Esther got Wendy primed for her first marathon. The Road to Hope, organized by the Runner’s Den owner: “Since then I’ve actually trained many people for Around the Bay, for the Road to Hope Marathon. I was working for a running store and I did the marathon clinic a few times.”
Wendy still struggles with MS challenges. A symptom flare up two weeks ago put her in bed for 10 days. She describes it as riding out the storm: “Now when I go into a flare up I go into it so much stronger. So my recovery is so much better.”
The 51-year old will be one of 5-thousand hitting the red hill this weekend for the road to hope. she’s shooting for a personal best… all the time: No matter what your illness is, you have to keep moving. Once you stop moving that’s it. You have to keep moving and that’s what I intend to do.”
The Road to Hope is a fundraiser benefitting 10 charities, including Hamilton’s City Kidz and the Children of Haiti. Registration is still open online until Wednesday. Go to www.hamiltonmarathon.ca for details.
