From Jeff – Director of Pikes Peak Volleyball Club:
Why is PPVC finding a cure for MS? What does MS have to do with volleyball?
This is what…
This is my wife, Melissa, and she was diagnosed with a very aggressive course of Multiple Sclerosis in November of 2008.
Prior to her diagnosis and the symptoms which pre-empted it, Melissa was about as active as any 28 year old. Melissa was a three-sport star in high school (volleyball, basketball and softball) and continued to play volleyball and basketball through her four years of college. After moving to Colorado in 2004 to be with and eventually marry Jeff, she continued her competitive volleyball playing in the Adult women’s RMR tournaments.
In mid-2008, Melissa began to feel some changes in her body and in her body’s sensations though we didn’t take any particular notice of it at the time. In October, her RMR women’s team went to their first tournament of the new season. As her team took the court for warm ups, Melissa’s leg was feeling tingly as she peppered with a teammate.
As she got into a hitting line to warm up her arm, she tossed the ball to her setter and began her approach. As she crouched into her “right-left (boom-boom),” her legs wouldn’t take her into the air. In fact, she found that she was stuck to the floor. The muscles in her left leg wouldn’t respond to her brain’s request for her to jump.
After a couple doctor’s visits and finally an MRI, we learned the two letters which would forever change our lives…
MS.
A combination of an unbelievable love for my beautiful bride and her love for all things active is the catalyst that has added a new goal to my list:
Find a Cure for MS!
Knowing that as long as her MS symptoms afflict her, she won’t be able to play a competitive game of volleyball, nor will we be able to re-climb Pikes Peak (which is how I proposed to her…and yes, I waited until we made it to the top!), I have of new mission of helping those who are making great strides in MS medications and in finding a cure.
WHAT WE ARE DOING…AND HOW YOU CAN HELP…
There are several things PPVC is doing this year:
- MS 5K Run/Walk: As a club, PPVC is holding a MS 5K Run/Walk, with all participants requesting donations from friends, families, etc to sponsor them for their 5K. Participants can either seek sponsorship by the “K” (5), by the mile (3.1) or a flat amount. 50% of the proceeds will go directly to the player’s club dues for the season and the other 50% will be a donation to MS Research.
How you can help us beat MS…Sponsor a PPVC member participating in or 5K. Email the Director at pikespeakvb@gmail.com if you don’t know a participant but would still like to donate. - “Beat MS” T-shirts: PPVC in conjunction with Flatout Boys Volleyball Club in Denver (whose Director also has a wife with MS) will be designing and selling “Beat MS” t-shirts which will be for sale through both clubs. 100% of the proceeds go to MS research.
How you can help us beat MS…Buy a t-shirt for $10, buy 3 for $25, and wear ‘em! Email pikespeakvb@gmail.com to buy your t-shirts! - Jeff’s 2nd marathon: After receiving Mel’s MS diagnosis, I needed a release for some pent up anger and energy, so I decided to fulfill a lifelong goal and run my first marathon. And I combined one goal with another and used the marathon as a means of raising money for MS research. I set a goal of raising $10,000 by finding 400 people to donate just $1 per mile each…I achieved my goal! Read the story of Jeff’s first marathon below…
After hiring a new assistant coach for our club who has a brother (younger than Melissa) afflicted with MS, I have committed to running the Rock n Roll Marathon in San Diego again in June 2010. I will once again be collecting donations, either by the mile in multiples of 26, or a lump sum. Either is great and no donation is too small!
How you can help us beat MS…stay tuned to this page for donation information.
Read the story of Jeff's first marathon.
Hi all,
Goal Accomplished! My first marathon has come and gone and I am a finisher! Many of you have already sent me texts and emails, and I want to thank you very much for taking such an interest in my undertaking. And a very special thanks goes to my brother Mark and his family for taking Melissa to see me at 4 different points in the race...I love you for that!
Here is the official update for everyone:
Rock 'n' Roll Marathon San Diego: FINISHER! My official time was:
Runners Finishers Min. Time Avg. Time Max. Time
~24000 13380 02:11:16 04:52:20 08:21:12
My Official Results:
You can see all my official information including 10K, Half and 20-mile split times at:
http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?rsID=79135 (just enter my Bib # 13523, then click on my name)
How it went:
Miles 1 - 7: Excellent...on my pace of just over 10 minute miles. Saw Mark and Melissa at mile 7 and gave her a big hug. Feeling great at this point.
Miles 7 - 13: A 3-mile uphill and immediate 1-mile downhill put a pain in my right knee which slowed me a little. Saw Mark/Melissa again at mile 13 and I told Mel that my 4 1/2 hour pace would be slowed so my finish would be later. Starting to feel the effects of the marathon at this point (physical and psychological) being only halfway.
Miles 13 - 21: Due to the pain, I began walking a little during each mile so I could reach the finish. Saw Melissa and Mark's family at mile 17 (I didn't know they would be there, so a great surprise!) Past mile 17 seeing Melissa, a new pain grew just over my left foot/ankle making it difficult to lift my toes off the ground. Really feeling effects of my walk/hobble/jog pace and began hoping the last 9 miles wouldn't be as long as the pain told me they were going to feel.
Miles 21 - 26: At mile 21, the pain in both legs became unbearable and forced me to a decision point...try to keep my hobbling going to officially have "run" the marathon but risk not being able to finish - or walk the remainder in hopes of crossing the finish line under my own power. With my only goal from the start being to finish his marathon, I made the difficult decision to walk to the finish. As a competitive person, it was extremely tough to be passed by several thousand runners in miles 21 - 26 as I walked, but I continued to be motivated to finish by the songs in my iPod, the thoughts and prayers of my friends, family and Pikes Peak Volleyball Club family that were with me every painful step of the way, and the thought of helping cure my amazing and beautiful wife of her debilitating disease. I set out to do what she couldn't...so I walked without stopping.
Miles 26 - 26.2: During the entire 26 miles, I told myself two things: 1) that I would cross the finish line under my own power and 2) that I would not be walking when I did. As I came around the corner to see the finish line ahead, I set my iPod to a particularly inspiring song and I began the most painful 0.2 mile jog of my life. I desperately searched the finish line stands for Melissa and saw her in the very beginning of the stands waving her arms and shouting for me. Though I couldn't hear her voice due to my song pushing me on, the sight of her smiling and crying face and frantically waving her arms so I would see her, is one of the single most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It is an image that will be with me forever - and it was the image I needed to push the final .2 miles to cross the finish line as I pictured since January that I would...with tears in my eyes for the love of my life...in a jog (painful and hobbled though it was).
You can watch the video of me crossing the finish line at:
http://elite.competitor.com/webcast/sd/archive.html (again, just enter my bib # 13523)
NOTE: I will be the second guy in an orange shirt that you see to cross the finish about halfway through the video. (Interestingly, as the first guy in orange goes across, you can hear the announcer mention he's from Colorado too!) Once you see me cross, if you watch it again, you can see me from way back come all the way through and over the finish line, I'm visible the whole way.
You can see the official race photographer photos of me at:
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=45790&BIB=13523
A few of the photos don't show me, but most do. Also, I am pretty sure that I am pictured in the middle of one of the start line photos (# 45790-867-036) Orange tank top (for my wife!) and white hat - pretty cool.
MS fundraising:
To date, I have raised just over $4500 - which is absolutely fantastic and I can't thank each of you who supported my goals enough...you are all amazing!!! There is still money coming in, so I am now shooting to reach the goal of $5200 ($200/mile) before I write the check and send it in. If you still want to donate, you can mail a check to me at: 7205 Julynn Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80919. Again, I really can't thank you all enough...it helped get me across the finish line!
To my wife:
The finish line tears are back in my eyes as I write this and words are not enough, so I will simply say "I love you...with all my heart, my body and all that I am."
With much love and humble appreciation to so many, I am sincerely yours,
~Jeff