Friends,
Our Day of Endurance – Together – Amazing!
Did the Good Lord Bless us with a great day together or what? From my perspective, the answer is YES! I hope you feel the same way. The weather was perfect all day with a little breeze to keep the mosquitoes down. We couldn’t have asked for a better day from start to finish. Let’s be thankful for that.
I don’t even know where to begin to write about the experience. From what I’ve heard, almost everyone who did it last year did better this year. To me, that’s absolutely amazing knowing how devastating MS can be. We had 55 people with MS doing what they can do. For all the new people this year…thank you for engaging. You now have your benchmark to beat next year. We all do!
My heart goes out to the people who physically could not be there this year due to how MS has affected them. Just so you know, we all did the best we could for you. You were on my mind the whole day. I hope we can have more of you join us for the journey next year and be able to be there with us.
The day started off at 6:00 am as we entered the water to go for a swim. Todd is showing us that MS can be beat as he leaves his wheelchair on the bank and gets ready for a 1-1/2 mile swim in open water with a little help from some friends.
It was a powerful moment for me when Becky said a prayer for our day together before we swam off into the sunrise. Thanks Becky!
It’s always nice to get done with the swim part. Thanks Joy, Becky and Milena for spotting us the entire 1.5 mile swim. What a beautiful experience!
We made it!
Prior to the National Anthem, we had a little fun warming up for the day on the Bellicon rebounders.
Mike did a phenomenal job on the National Anthem as Al so proudly waved the flag. My heart was touched…so powerful!
It made me so happy to see so many people show up again this year. I still like the question I got the first year when I introduced doing a Day of Endurance event. Many people said, “who would even come to that?” You all made my day…thank you!
It was nice of Don to trust us with his precious princess bride Marlene (86 and truly loving and living with MS) so she could experience riding the bike route with Rainer. They had a ball together.
Adam was ready to get the day started. And yes…Adam did 20% better this year than last year. I know that wasn’t easy, Adam. Well done!
And the trikes, tandems and bikes are off! So fun!
It was good seeing so many people out there enjoying the ride together.
Fun!!
The walkers were giving it their all…together. Truly amazing!
And sometimes we rest and have fun with each other while taking a little break 😊
The rest area out on the bike ride was a lot of fun too!
What we can’t all do with a little help from some friends…right Shannon? The past two years, Shannon was one that couldn’t be here due to how she was affected by MS. This year she is here, working hard and making strides. I’m so happy for you Shannon! I hope you banged the gong a good one 😊
We sure had a lot of smiles all day 😊 thanks for capturing the spirit and the moments of fun and friendship with these pictures Cal! So much love shared by so many.
The young ones sure had fun too. When one person in our family lives with MS, we all do. Let’s make the best of it for all.
If you do better than you did last year, you get to bang on the gong. It was awesome hearing the gong go off all day 😊
Everyone was rooting for Joan and Pam. By far, the most common question I got after the event was “Did Joan and Pam make it 20 miles?” They both Did! Pam rode on a trike for 18 miles with Keith and them finished her 20 mile walk with no issues. That’s absolutely amazing considering the health challenges Pam has had the past few years. Way to go Pam!
Joan had some challenges during the day because she got a little dehydrated for a while. She rested for a while and got rehydrated. She also had an issue with her phone not recording a mile and a half sometime during the day. Like the trooper she has been all through training, Joan got back out there and not only did she walk 20 miles, she wanted her phone to show 20 miles so she walked the extra mile and a half so her phone showed 20 miles. After that, she walked with Pam to help her get to her 20 miles. Joan walked a little over 22 miles with NO FALLS and was certainly happy.
We were all so happy for both Joan and Pam…my eyes are still leaking. My sister Michelle was still there with us when they finished at 7:30pm. She took the group picture…thanks Michelle!
For me, I was able to swim 1.5 beautiful miles as the sun was coming up with great people. I was able to bike 56 miles with Jacob, Dave and Rainer while seeing so many out there and at the rest areas. I was able to walk 6.3 miles with my family along with Joan, Pam, Matt, Diane and anyone else that joined us. It truly was an amazing day!
Thank you to Kate and everyone who helped plan this event again this year. You did a great job! Thanks Cal and Sam for sharing the pictures on this newsletter. Thanks to everyone with MS that has been training for this all year and showed up to show us what we “can” do. Thanks to all our volunteers who help us all year long and were there again for us for the Day of Endurance to make this a reality. Thank you to all our family members who are helping us make the best of living this life with MS and were there for us for the Day of Endurance. Thank you to all who did fund raising for us throughput the year and for this event. Thank you to all our financial supporters who make our mission possible all year long.
I thank GOD for bringing us all together the way HE is and showing us through each other what His love for us really looks like. I’m excited to see what He has in store for us next. This mission is certainly much more powerful than my human plan in so many ways. I wish we could know what the ripple effect truly looks like. Thank you, God for your love, the beautiful people in our life and the beautiful day!
Wednesday Lunch at Mimosa – Brookfield
Mimosa in Brookfield is going to donate 10% of all sales tomorrow from 12:00PM – 2:30PM to our MS-Just Keep Moving mission. I know it’s late notice but some of us are going to go there. Join us if you can.
Mimosa Breakfast & Lunch
275 Regency Court
Brookfield, WI
Thanks, Chuck for getting this arranged for us!
Let’s Dance!
Dancing has so many good and healthy elements for all of us living with MS. Dr Alex Ng from Marquette University has proven this through some of his studies which include many of our friends with MS and their loved ones.
Dr Ng and Jessica Fastabend are creating some more dance opportunities for us living with MS. Here’s a message from Jessica. I highly encourage you to engage in this!
Good afternoon everyone!
I hope each of you has been enjoying your summer. We are bringing back social dance class series in August.
Dates: 8/13, 8/21 and 8/27
Time: 6p.m.-7p.m.
Location: Casa Collective Studios 21415 W Greenfield Ave, New Berlin, WI 53146
Cost: Pay what you can.
Let us know you are coming by signing up HERE. Pre-registration is not required but highly recommended.
There is ample accessible parking near the studio entrance. If you have any questions you can refer to our FAQ’s or reach out to me at any time.
I look forward to dancing with you soon.
Sincerely,
Jessica Fastabend
Community Education Director
414.277.8480 x6005
1661 N. Water Street | Milwaukee WI 53202
Endurance Walking Opportunities
Walking is a very functional and sought after level of mobility for all of us living with MS. For those who cannot walk, my heart is with you. I do not forget for a minute the days I could not walk and I have you in mind on each walk. I wish we had quicker ways to get people who cannot walk, walking. Let’s keep working at it.
For those who can walk, let’s focus on keeping our walking abilities and try to improve upon them.
Our endurance walking group is going to keep walking together even after the Day of Endurance. These are on Thursday mornings starting @ 6:00am. If you want to meet up with us later, just let Joan, Pam or me know and we will circle back to meet up with you. This is a good time to start if you want to start building your walking endurance.
Even if you can only walk a few steps, I would highly encourage you to try to walk a few steps each day and then one long walk per week – whatever that distance is for you. Consistency is key.
I would encourage you to start where you are and gradually make progress like we are. I hope you’ll join us.
Nutrition Program
This week Janine discussed vegetarian diets along with the risks and benefits. I had no idea there were so many different vegetarian diets. This program is really good! Our goal is to get our bodies to heal itself from the inside and proper nutrition is a big part of that.
Here is the nutrition link for this week.
MS 2025.08.25 Vegetarian Rev2.pdf
Janine puts a lot into these presentations. It’s wonderful for her to share these presentations with those who can’t be here. It’s even more impactful for people who can be here in person to get the information first hand and be able to get questions answered and learn from others living with MS.
I would highly encourage you to engage in our nutrition program Monday mornings @ 9:00am so you can benefit at a high level. All are encouraged to come; people with MS, loved ones, care takers, volunteers, etc.
Thank you Janine!
Metals for MS
Thank you to all who brought in aluminum cans, gutters, copper, etc. Please keep bringing them in…you are helping us.
Parking
If there are able-bodied people willing to park across the street in the Acuity lot so people with mobility challenges can park in our lot, please do so. We want to make it easy for people with mobility challenges to park and get into our building safely. Thank you for doing that!
Gym Open and Close Procedure
If you’re the first to come or the last to leave the gym, please use this procedure for opening and shutting down.
Open and closedown procedures.docx
Member Spotlight – We’ll pick this back up next week.
Ed and Adam’s Podcast
Adam and Ed had a conversation with me about the Day of Endurance along with some random conversations
Here’s the link:
Talking Day of Endurance with Dan by Positive Vibes Living with MS
Thanks Adam, Ed and Ava for doing these podcasts together!
Let’s get together!
We’ll be getting together from 8:00am – noon on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at the gym. Plus, Monday evenings from 4:00pm – 7:00pm and Tuesday afternoons for the aquatics program. I hope you’ll join us!
Where:
Wisconsin Metal Parts – Westmound Building
MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc.
W228N791 Westmound Drive
Waukesha, WI 53186
Exercise 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…friends with MS, volunteers, and caregivers.
Monday Mornings
8:00am – Rebounding Class
9:00am – Nutrition Program – Friends with MS, caretakers and volunteers are encouraged to engage. Here’s last week’s presentation:
Nutrition link: MS 2025.08.11 Seasonal and Local.pdf
Monday evenings (open from 4:00pm – 7:00pm)
5:00 pm: High intensity interval training (HIIT)
5:30 pm: Standing balance
6:00 pm: Seated balance
Tuesday afternoons
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm: Aquatic exercise program held at Wildwood Lodge – Pewaukee
2:00 pm – 2:45 pm: Aquatic exercise program held at Wildwood Lodge – Pewaukee
Wildwood Lodge has a lift available to get people in wheelchairs in and out of the pool safely
Wednesdays
8:00am – Rebounding Class
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.
9:30am – 10:00am: Seated Balance
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.
10:30am – 11:00am: Seated / Standing Stretching Class
Fridays:
7:00 – 8:45am: Bike Ride from Nettesheim Park – Pewaukee – see address below
9:30 – 10:00am: 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 Kern at kborn1234@gmail.com with any questions.
Friday Morning Bike Rides
We will be riding Friday morning as long as it’s not raining and above 45 degrees. As we get into September and hopefully October, every Friday morning ride is a bonus. It looks like it could be a little chilly this week.
Please note that there is construction on Hwy SS. There will also be detour signs. You will have to either come in from the route we usually ride by the lake or from the west. Please leave your home early and allow a little more time for the construction detour.
We will be meeting Friday morning at 7:00am at Nettesheim Park in Pewaukee. It’s on the SE corner of Hwy SS and Oak Street. The GPS address is: N26W27495 Prospect Ave, Pewaukee, WI 53072.
Come a little early so you can get your bike out of your car and be ready to ride as close to 7:00am as possible. We’ll ride until about 8:45. Let’s ride and have some fun!
For those who wish you could join us but can’t; please know we have you in our hearts on these rides. We’re riding with you and for you. I hope you too can join us someday.
Educational Sessions
Friday, August 29th 11:00 – 12:00pm: Come sing with us! Join a fun, informal group singing session, mixed with vocal and respiratory exercises. The session will be led by speech therapist Evelyn Pollock, a former professional singer. No need to know how to read music — all the songs will be ‘oldies but goodies!’ Please bring your instrument if you’d like to strum along! Later this year, she and her colleague Dr. Alex Ng of Marquette University will be studying the effects of group singing on the breathing, voicing, and socio-emotional well-being of adults with MS.
Friday, September 5th 11:00 – 12:00pm: Come learn some simple strategies for dealing with persistent swelling in your legs. Lymphedema can be managed. JoAnn Schmitz is an Occupational Therapist and a Certified Lymphedema Therapist at ProHealth in Mukwonago who would like to give you some tools to help you in this area.
Friday, September 12th, 11:00 – 12:00pm: Kim and Emily are both MS certified physical therapists that currently work in the outpatient physical therapy department at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. They will talk about the balance triad and how this plays a large role in dizziness and imbalance with mobility.
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.
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 5th, 2025. 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 647 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 and Nyani
Ricky will be here on Wednesdays doing Thai Massage.
Nyani will be here on Fridays doing Thai Massage
Our goal is to serve as many people who come to the gym consistently as we can with these Thai Massage services. Going forward we will be doing a rotational schedule to accommodate as many people as we can who need and want a massage.
There are some guidelines written up at the gym. Please respect the guidelines so we can serve as many people as we can. Please sign up according to the guidelines.
Here’s a link to the guidelines: Thai Massage at MS-Just Keep Moving
Reiki on Wednesdays and Fridays
Reiki is available at the gym, for FREE, on Wednesdays (Mary B, Jill K) and on Fridays (Linda C and Mary R), 9:30am until noon. Sessions typically last 20-30 minutes. Sign up for a session on the white board.
Reiki (ray-kee) relaxes the body so that healing can occur! The “magic” of Reiki has helped some of our members with pain, insomnia, constipation, and so much more! Try it the next time you are at the gym!
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 and take action.
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 will share some nature pictures again next week. I think I have enough pictures of the Day of Endurance in this one.
I just couldn’t resist…here’s one to hold you over until next week. 😊
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.
