NI man with multiple sclerosis running the length of Ireland to raise funds for the MS Society

A 37-year-old Belfast man with multiple sclerosis is planning to run the length of Ireland to raise money to help stop MS, something he believes new developments show as possible and that researchers have in their sights.

Colin Goodman is running from Mizen Head in Cork to Malin Head in Donegal in nine days starting on July 30. That is an average of 35 miles a day for nine days, or an ultramarathon every single day.

Commenting on the challenge, he said: “I’m always reading and hearing how people with MS can have a ‘normal life’ but I don’t want to limit myself to a ‘normal life’. I want to show people with MS can do even more, they can have an extraordinary life. I want to live an above and beyond life.”

Colin, who is married with three children, added: “I want to see how far I can push myself. I know there’s going to be a lot of pain in this challenge and stress on my body but I can do it. As well as the physical challenge I want to raise £10,000 for the MS Society with most of that going towards finding a cure for MS.

“I think MS research has the potential to make big strides soon and to make a massive difference to people’s lives in my lifetime.”

Colin said the support for his challenge has been “brilliant”.

“I’ve had so many hotels and other people offering free accommodation while I’m running through. I’ve also had great support from my employer On Track Technicians and from Used Cars NI. The community response has been phenomenal too. It all really pushes me on.”

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive neurological condition - that means it affects the nerves. A person gets MS when their immune system isn’t working properly.

The immune system normally protects you by fighting off infection, but in MS it attacks the nerves by mistake. The nerves control lots of different parts of the body. That’s why MS symptoms can occur in many parts of the body. It’s also why everyone’s MS is different.

There are three main types of MS, relapsing remitting, primary progressive and secondary progressive. Symptoms can include fatigue, vision problems, numbness and tingling, muscle spasms, stiffness and weakness, mobility problems and pain.

Whilst MS is a lifelong condition, treatments and specialists can help manage the condition and its symptoms. There are an estimated 5,000 in Northern Ireland with MS.

Colin was diagnosed with MS in 2017 after suffering from headaches and double vision in one of his eyes whilst playing football.

“I was sent for an eye test with a hospital specialist and they basically didn’t let me go. I saw a neurologist and without me knowing he had kind of already diagnosed me with MS as I had a lot of the symptoms, but I was sent for an MRI to make 100 per cent sure and when I got that it was confirmed.”

Colin said initially the diagnosis was “terrifying”.

“The only thing I knew was that my wife’s uncle had MS when there was no medication available.

“It was quite progressive for him and he had quite a tough time. So because that’s all I knew, I thought everyone who had MS would be in a wheelchair. And whilst that still can be the case, a lot of times now there are drugs there that help and we have a lot more knowledge of diet, exercise, health and wellbeing and stress. In this day and age MS isn’t as scary.”

After his diagnosis, Colin, who had always played football, decided to take up running.

“I wanted to prove to myself that MS isn’t a death sentence or being stuck in a wheelchair and you can do something. Then I got the running bug. I did a half marathon, then I did a full marathon, and then another three marathons. Then I thought, how can I challenge myself even further, so I came up with the idea to run the length of the country.”

Since discovering he has MS, Colin said, ironically, he’s never been in better shape.

“Before my diagnosis I was going along on a bit of a hamster wheel, putting on a bit of weight. Now I follow a plant-based diet, do my exercise, get a good night’s sleep, I look after myself.”

And he said his challenge is all about “raising positivity”.

“It’s about raising money, but it’s also about giving encouragement to other people with MS.”

Commenting on Colin’s run, David Galloway, director MS Society NI, said: “Running the length of Ireland is a serious commitment. Doing it in nine days straight is staggering for anyone, with or without a progressive neurological condition. Colin’s drive is amazing his focus on the MS Society is something we can only welcome and be grateful for. Colin, like we do, believes developments in MS research are within sight. We can see a future where people don’t worry about MS getting worse. It is fundraising like this that helps us push towards stopping MS. We are funding programmes to bring that closer.”

Colin will be running through Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Westmeath, Longford, Fermanagh, Tyrone and up to Londonderry and into Donegal.

He will be trackable on his route and will be updating supporters along the way on Facebook @Mizen2Malin4MS.

His Just Giving page is at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/m2m4ms