When Alanna Solomon was five years old, her mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Now, at 21, she has completed two MS fundraising walks and is ready to finish the Spartan Race at Sun Peaks this weekend to raise money to fight the disease that took her childhood and her mother’s independence.
Her mother, Rhoda Solomon, is currently hospitalized in Williams Lake while waiting for a space to open in Kamloops. But Alanna’s father and sister will be there to cheer her on to complete the course on Sept. 25.
Alanna is racing as a member of Team Muck, an initiative from the MS Society of B.C. and Yukon that encourages people to complete a mud or obstacle run as a fundraising effort for the MS Society of Canada.
Alanna will run the “Sprint”, a five kilometre course with at least 15 obstacles to conquer such as jumping over flames, climbing large walls, crawling through mud pits and carrying heavy objects.
“I was nervous at first,” Alanna said. “But now I am really excited, it seems like a lot of fun and it’s not really scary.”
This challenge doesn’t compare to the challenges Alanna and Rhoda have overcome together.
“It was just me and my mom,” said Alanna. “My family didn’t really understand the disease or how to help so I had to grow up quickly.”
As Rhoda’s symptoms worsened, Alanna learned how to take care of herself and their home.
“She was still just my mom though,” Alanna said. “This was just something that was happening that we had to live with.”
Her fundraising efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by her mother.
“I can see how proud of me she is. There is an extra smile from her and that is enough for me to keep doing it.”
In the future Alanna would like to work more with the MS Society to fundraise and grow Team Muck.
Anyone who would like to donate to Alanna’s race or who would like to sign up to fundraise and receive a special registration price can click here.
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