26 msfocusmagazine.org my initial goal. But now I realized that the top of Denali was only the beginning, and really a very small part, of what now clearly was and still is my ultimate goal. My goal became even larger; it became bigger than just me and a mountain. It is multiple sclerosis: to become the voice and face of MS. To educate, motivate, and challenge others living with MS to go out and take on their mountain - the mountain called multiple sclerosis. To light the path, clear the trail, showthewayto finding a goal and setting out to achieve it. To know that it is okay to have to turn back or change your mind. It’s okay to recognize that MS might have made your goal out of your reach. So we find another goal. MS turned me back from a summit on Mount Everest twice. Yet I made my way to the top of the world, to the North Pole instead. I didn’t give up on my goal; I just changed how I got there! The joy and fulfillment of achieving one’s goal is what keeps us going. When we rub the sleep from our eyes every morning, it’s those steps to the goal we contemplate and plan. The hard work and dedication is our fuel, the commitment makes us push past the MS diagnosis and forge on ahead. It’s all about you. It’s all about choices. It’s all about doing it with multiple sclerosis, which only makes reaching the goal that much sweeter. Because once you reach your goal, not only did you ‘do it’ – but you also did it with multiple sclerosis. And the view from the top is incredible. Life with MS