Friends,
Heads up, this is a long e-mail and there’s a lot of important information in it. I spent a lot of time writing it. Please read it carefully 😊
The Day of Endurance is this Saturday
I’m excited and looking forward to seeing you there. There’s more information further down in this e-mail.
A little kid made Al’s day – which made my day
Last Friday after our bike ride, a little kid seen Al getting back on his bike. The little kid said to Al “I’m really happy you get to ride your bike”. It came from the little kids heart. We never know who’s heart we’re going to touch with all we’re doing. Thanks for being an inspiration Al and sharing that moment. You made an impact in that little kids life as you do with many of us.
Don from Matia Mobility
It was interesting having Don from Matia Mobility here with us last week showing us some of the technology that’s out there for people who can stand with assistance but not walk or walk far.
Unfortunately, this technology is really expensive and not practical for many who need it most. Don was very helpful educating us on insurance programs that are available as well as coverage for vets. It was encouraging learning that qualified vets can get the cost of it covered 100%.
I liked it when Marlene volunteered to demonstrate how people can give hugs while standing with this piece of equipment. Thanks for being such a good sport Marlene 😊
Suzanne was a good sport too and demo’d it for all of us. It sure didn’t take Suzanne long to get used to it and have some fun on it.
Hopefully, in time, the cost sharing programs will become more available for people who need it the most. Thanks for bringing it in and educating us on this technology Don!
If you’d like to get more information on this technology, feel free to reach out to Don. He would be happy to help. Here’s Don’s contact info.
Don Beard
Sales Specialist
https://www.matiamobility.com
Office: 801.997.1812 x2029
Cell: 217.649.5556
Ed and Adam’s Podcast
This week, Ed and Adam talk about some of the adaptive equipment we have at the gym.
Here’s a link:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ava-g4/episodes/Equipment-in-the-gym-e2n6sru
Thanks Adam, Ed and Ava for doing these podcasts together!
Member Spotlight – Mary Arata
Mary has had some setbacks and is making a comeback. Way to keep pushing through the challenges with a smile Mary! Looking forward to seeing you and Jerry on Saturday.
Plastic bags needed
Jim Wuhrmann is back at it again. He found someone to crochet sleeping mats for the homeless so he’s cutting the bags so they can crochet them. There’s a box outside the lunchroom. Please bring in bags if you have them. Let’s keep Jim busy.
Good luck to Matt!
Matt Panelli has been joining us for a while now. Before we met Matt, he had this goal to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. He didn’t know we had this Day of Endurance journey going on. He’s been on a similar journey as he’s been training hard since the first of the year as well. Coincidently, his climb is taking place at the same time as our Day of Endurance.
Rainer and I went on a training hike with Matt at Lapham Peak a while back. We went up and down the hills by the tower at Lapham Peak and included the tower 3 times.
We had a great hike and I could tell Matt’s MS was giving him challenges by the time we were done. Since that hike, Matt has done a lot of training on the Stairmaster at the gym along with all his other training. Let’s keep Matt and his crew in our prayers as he climbs the tallest mountain in Africa.
Matt made it there safely and will start his climb on Thursday. Remember Matt…Let’s Just Keep Moving, Smiling and Loving! 😊 The journey really is about WHO we do it with that makes it so special.
Matt will be making a documentary of this journey. Here’s a link to a sneak peak of the initial footage. https://app.frame.io/presentations/7c5de96a-14af-460c-8325-c689ce09440c
We are cheering for you from here Matt!
Day of Endurance 2024 Information – August 24, 2024
Reminder: Get your park pass ahead of time – instructions below
To all our friends with MS and volunteers participating in our 2nd annual Day of Endurance
I thought I would put together some information on what we visualize for this day. I’m confident it will be awesome. We will need everyone’s help to make it happen. Thank you for engaging in this!
What: MS-Just Keep Moving – Day of Endurance / Picnic
Swimming, biking, walking, running, rolling (wheelchair), standing, other games, eating, etc.
People with MS will be doing what they can do regardless of their ability level with the help of so many loving volunteers.
When: Saturday, August 24th
Time: 6:00am Swim start
8:00am All other participants can start to arrive and check in
8:45am National Anthem and a few words from Dan
9:00 am Walk, run, roll, and bike start (wave 1 trikes)
12:00 pm Wave 2 trikes
The rest of the day – Picnic and people will be doing what they can do. The picnic area will be the central gathering spot all day.
Where: Naga-Waukee Park, Hartland, WI. Picnic Area #3.
You will need a $7.00 daily park pass for the day if you don’t have an annual pass. You cannot buy park passes at the park. You need to buy them online or go to the courthouse to buy them. Here’s the link for the park pass. https://www.waukeshacounty.gov/parkentry
Why: To bring people with MS, their loved ones and friends together, build friendships, make progress with our MS, do what we can, help others, inspire others, etc.
Let’s have some fun, be safe and see what we can do in a day. I hope you surprise yourself. What we do on this day will be our benchmark for next year. Hopefully many of us do even better next year.
Let’s thank our volunteers
Once again, we have many amazing, selfless, loving, hardworking volunteers stepping up to help us make this Day of Endurance possible. We are so blessed! Thank you to all the volunteers with MS and without MS for making this possible. We wouldn’t even be able to consider doing this without you. Seeing our MS-Just Keep Moving family working together so well without judgement is a beautiful thing! THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!
If your friends or family are planning on supporting you during your activity, please let Kate know so we know that you’re covered! Email her at kborn1234@gmail.com
Contact Information:
Picnic Area – Paula Weikert 262-923-0160
SAG Vehicle on bike route – Joe Beine 262-470-7897
Safety – Safety is our number one priority all day. Let’s do our part to be safe and keep others safe all day. Staying hydrated our my biggest concern. Be sure to do your part to stay hydrated.
Parking – We will be parking by picnic area #3 and by the park office. If you’re able bodied, please park away from the picnic area and leave the close parking spots for people with walkers, wheelchairs, etc.
Mandatory Check in – Participants – please check in as soon as you get to the picnic area. We need to know who is all here and have waivers signed. If you already signed a waiver, we still need you to check in.
Food – Please bring an item to share at the picnic and/or to fuel participants. There is a sign-up sheet at the gym. Email Kate kborn1234@gmail.com for the list of food items or so she can mark your name down.
Drinks – We are still in need of donations of about 18 gallons of water. Since everyone drinks so many different types of drinks, if you want to drink anything other than water and electrolytes, please bring a small cooler with your own drinks.
Chairs – There are about 18 picnic tables in our picnic area. If you aren’t able to sit by a picnic table, please bring a comfortable chair you like
Personal Supplies – Please bring any personal supplies you will need for the day (Water bottles, specific snack / energy bars, suntan lotion, bug spray, etc.)
Reflective clothing and light – If you are planning to walk after dark, please bring reflective clothing (vest or hat) and a light.
Family and Friends – Please encourage your family and friends to come cheer you on and enjoy the day with us
Other Activities – We will have standing machines, the Grit Chair, and the Sara Steady machine there for people to use as well. There will also be other games and activities at the picnic area.
More Information
On Friday, August 23rd from 11:00 – noon, I will be going over the plan for the day, review the routes and answer any questions. I’m trying to answer some questions with this e-mail.
Please let me know if you have any other questions. We want this to be a great experience for all our participants as well as our volunteers, family, friends, etc.
Day of Endurance Volunteers – August 24, 2024
A HUGE THANKS goes out to everyone who signed up to volunteer along with those we just signed up 😊. I’m blown away by the love and support we get from our volunteers. Here’s a list of who we have signed up for different roles. Hopefully this will help with being organized and providing a great experience for everyone.
Thank you Dr Kate and the planning team for putting this list together. If you want to volunteer and your name is not on this list, please let Dr Kate or Mike B know.
We want to safely provide an amazing day and experience for all.
Our Caregivers Retreat – September 21, 2024
Phil has been working hard to put together another great retreat for our Caregivers. I would love it all our caregivers would engage in this time together. Here’s a note from Phil. We’ll have more info available to those who sign up.
The cost for this event is covered by MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc. We know how important our caregivers are to all of us living with MS. They do so much for us, we want to do this for them. I hope you will encourage your caregiver to engage in this day with other caregivers.
Here’s a note from Phil:
Hi Dan,
Here is information for promoting Replenish in the newsletter.
2nd Annual Replenish retreat for MS Caregivers
The Redemptorist Retreat Center, Oconomowoc, WI
September 21, 2024
9:30 am – 4:00 pm – Lunch will be served
Register before Noon Friday Sept 6th.
To Register: https://qr1.be/NLQS
QR Code below & attached
Speaker: (These are the key items from her attached bio)As a parent, provider, & trainer for people working with disabilities, Jennifer Nicholson provides invaluable insights, resources, & best practice training for precise program & daily life implementation.
- Jennifer’s practice, Forward Integrated Services (FIS), is staffed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) who provide training & support for parents & caregivers.
- She is the parent of two teenage sons on the Autism spectrum.
- Her aging father lives with her family.
- She’s the special needs ministry director at Spring Creek Church.
We have room for 50 maximum (Last year we had 15).
Phil Ransom
- 888. 0108
Cardio and Balance Programs
These classes are aimed to get everyone exercising together. I like that word “together” 😊. We’ll need help from volunteers before and after the cardio class on Wednesdays and Fridays to get members on and off equipment. All are welcome and encouraged to join.
Wednesdays
8:30am – 9:00am: Cardio exercise
Location: in the big room using aerobic equipment in front of big TV
Pick your favorite piece of equipment to use, bring a water bottle, and arrive a few minutes early to get the equipment set up to your height.
10-10:30am: Cardio exercise
Location: in the big room using aerobic equipment in front of big TV
Pick your favorite piece of equipment to use, bring a water bottle, and arrive a few minutes early to get the equipment set up to your height.
10:30 – 11:00am Tai Chi led by Ricky
Fridays:
9:30 – 10:00am: New Class! High intensity interval training (HIIT) body weight circuit class. Great for those who aren’t attending Friday morning bike rides and want to get their heart pumping! Geared to intermediate to advanced ability level. Class may be indoors or outdoors depending on weather. Find Dr Kate at the start of the class time.
10:00 – 10:30 am: Seated balance class
10:30 – 11am: Standing balance class
Pick the class / classes you feel most able and comfortable participating in. We will have chairs set up to sit on and/or use for balance support.
Email Dr Kate at kborn1234@gmail.com with any questions.
Friday Morning Bike Ride
We had an interesting ride last week. We had a lot of people show up. Then it rained. We had a lot of people leave and go to the gym early. A few (6) of us waited the rain out and had a great ride. It was a little wet while we were riding but we didn’t get rained on.
We will NOT be riding this Friday. It’s a rest day before the Day of Endurance. We will still be meeting at the gym though. See ya there!
Educational Sessions
Friday, August 23rd 11:00 am – noon: Day of endurance organizational event. Help us get organized for the event the following day!
Friday, August 30th 11:00 am – noon: Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association (WASA) is returning to host a “TryIt” session to play pickleball!
Friday, October 4th 11:00 am – noon: Physical therapists, Kimberly Sawall, Emily Hill, and Jennifer Kolesar-Springhetti, from ProHealth Care will review balance tests and the importance of testing balance for walking and translational movement abilities. They will also address fatigue, fatigue management, and assessment of fatigue for people with MS.
Future topics could include: emotional health, nutrition, yoga, tai chi, wellness topics, safe use of gym equipment for your body, best exercise for you and more. What topics would you like to see? Please let Dr Kate, Joan, Traci, Ricky or Dan know.
Let’s get together! – New Hours
We’ll be getting together from 8:00am – noon on Wednesday and Friday mornings at the gym. I hope you’ll join us!
Wisconsin Metal Parts – Westmound Building
MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc.
W228N791 Westmound Drive
Waukesha, WI 53186
Prayer Group We’ll be having our prayer group Wednesday from 11:00am – noon.
I just love the way we share, pray and laugh together while we witness prayers being answered weekly. It’s truly amazing!
Thanks goes to God and to everyone that joins us. Let’s get together to share, listen, talk, give thanks, and pray however God leads us.
MS-Just Keep Caring – Our Caregivers support group will be the first and third Friday of each month from 10:00 – 10:30am. The next one will be Friday, September 6th 2024. If you’re a caregiver of someone you love with MS, please join us and share your experience of caring for your loved one. This has been very helpful for many. Thanks to all who participate!
Our Facebook page is private. That means you’ll need to join if you want access to all our fun and progress. We’re now at 537 members. That’s awesome! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2639832389489709
Our Facebook page is active and fun. Lots of people are doing more and sharing their journey on Facebook. Feel free to join, post and share your experiences and comments.
There were some awesome pictures, videos and comments shared again this past week. Thank you to all who are sharing!
Thai Massage with Ricky Heldt
Ricky will be here on Wednesdays doing Thai Massage. Ricky will be taking Fridays off for a while. Perhaps through the summer.
There is a sign up board to be used to accommodate your needs for your exercise plan. Some people with spasticity need to be massaged / stretched out before they can exercise. Some people need a massage after a hard workout to loosen up their tight muscles or relieve pain.
We have limited spots for massages, please be considerate of people that need the massage the most in order to do the exercises they need to do or recover from the exercises they just did.
You can pick the time slot that works for you.
Reiki with Linda Linda will be here on Fridays doing Reiki. Many people say Linda’s Reiki work is “magical”. We’re thankful for Linda sharing her gifts and talents with us. Feel free to let Linda know you’d like to do Reiki with her. She also has a sign-up sheet.
Inspirational Humor with Adam Wollert
We’ll be having our inspirational humor zoom call with Adam again next Tuesday. Adam is a gift to all of us. Thanks to all who joined us today!
Please join us if you can.
Tuesdays @ 1:30PM
Here’s the link to join us…I hope you do!
Join Zoom Meeting with this link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9431389152?pwd=bWlYbFNaazVnM1M1cWxWMitlODdXUT09
Meeting ID: 943 138 9152
Passcode: 3qP2hu
Phone: 1-312-626-6799
Let’s reach out
I encourage you to share a smile and encouragement with someone. Perhaps you could call someone that you have not talked with for a while just to say hi and see how they are doing. We all could use a little extra love and encouragement.
MS is tough. Let’s have faith, remain calm, be flexible, help each other and learn as much as we can about the challenges of each day as we make good choices.
Let’s keep moving, smiling and loving 😊 It helps!
In God We Trust…we are in good hands.
Dan
Our Website: http://msjustkeepmoving.org/
P.S. I know…I have a lot of info in this e-mail. I know, because it took me a long time to write it. I also know people like the pictures I take during the week. Here are a few from this week.
This hawk was going after our sandhill cranes. I’m not too happy about that but the cranes hold their own quite well.
The hawk got a little closer
This crane was pretty comfy.
This one yawned as it got up. I don’t think I would want to be the hawk going after these guys. The hawk might lose an eyeball.
I was also out chasing finches this week.
They were liking the sunflowers.
And chasing each other.
I saw a few more deer too.
I thought since we could all use a little good luck on our Day of Endurance events, I would take a picture of a good luck charm…a four-leaf clover.
And here’s a flower to enjoy…please enjoy. 😊
For those who can’t get out and enjoy nature due your challenges with MS…my heart is with you. You are with me every time I’m out there. I enjoy being out there and I also enjoy sharing with you. I know how hard it is not to be able to get out and enjoy nature. Let’s enjoy nature and God’s beauty together this way.
