Introducing: Jodie Leqeta
“Just do the next right thing, it’s our moment-by-moment decisions that define us and what our life becomes.”
We, the Mastering Mountains team, are thrilled to introduce Jodie, one of three Expedition Grant recipients this year. We love her commitment to learning and growing, and we are excited to support her as she strives for her goal. We asked Jodie a few questions:
Tell us about yourself.
I’m in my early forties and live in Silverdale. I’m a mum of three beautiful young women, a family member, friend and colleague. I work for Salt Community Trust in various roles supporting our community projects. I am a passionate, optimistic, determined and hard-working woman who cares deeply for people and loves to work alongside others to help them reach their goals and dreams.
Before my MS symptoms started, I was active and energetic, and loved adventuring with family and friends. I enjoyed mountain biking, climbing, running (especially off-road) and horse riding. As an extended family we would go on adventures yearly like the Milford Track, Abel Tasman, etc. My girls and I were also actively involved in pony club.
In 2018, I started noticing I was tripping out in the paddocks more, and when riding I couldn’t post (stand in the stirrups) for very long before my leg started shaking uncontrollably. Then I started to feel like I didn’t have my usual energy and my capacity was diminishing. I was diagnosed with MS in early 2019. I unfortunately had an adverse reaction to a lumbar puncture (as part of my diagnosis) which put me in hospital and significantly impacted my energy levels. After this I struggled to exercise, and horse riding became too much of an effort because I could only ride for 5-10 minutes before my leg gave up. Then I started to notice that my balance and walking had diminished, and I was subconsciously trying to avoid activities and exercise to conserve energy for the essential things.
Sometime after my diagnosis I did some research and learnt that I needed to exercise to maintain and hopefully regain some of my functionality. I tried to do this on my own but felt like I was making some movement patterns worse and potentially creating more long-term problems. In the last year, after working with my neurophysio, I have been able to start to do the things I love again with family and friends, which brings me a lot of joy.
What does it look like living with your diagnosis?
Medically, I am monitored on a yearly basis with a checkup from the neurological team at Auckland Hospital, and I usually have an MRI scan approximately every two years. I have opted to take a functional medical approach to my wellness journey and support my body using supplements recommended by a practitioner, as well as attending counselling to deal with stressors and underlying trauma.
I currently go to the beach and swim every day (I was a terrible swimmer but am building my confidence and strength); this is about proving to myself that I can do hard things, and I know the cold water is good for many body systems, including my nervous system. I also ride my bike outdoors and love being able to get out in native bush whenever I can, even if just to pause and breathe in the fresh air.
I used to be an all-or-nothing, “go hard or go home” kind of person. Accepting my limitations and grieving my loss of various functions was initially really challenging. After my initial fears and concerns I have then taken a positive psychology approach – focusing on improving the things I can – such as supporting my body systems with a functional medicine approach, eating clean (a mix of AIP and Wahls Paleo Plus diet) and doing counselling. I have learned the importance of feeling your emotions and letting them move through you, rather than blocking and squashing them down inside.
Tell us about your mission.
My mission is a four-day adventure with friends and family: cycling the Hunua Traverse, then the Hauraki Rail Trail to Te Aroha South (Wairere Falls Track) in three days and finishing the challenge by hiking the Wairere Falls Track on the final day, covering almost 170 km in total. I chose this goal because it’s outdoors, doing things I love with people I love. The location and terrain are accessible whilst being challenging and beautiful.
To achieve my goal, I’ll face a number of challenges: neuromuscular fatigue, temperature regulation, physical and mental endurance and strength, as well as the time commitment for training and financial costs. I want this challenge and the preparation for it to be full of moments of connection with the outdoors, my family, friends, and myself. I look forward to growth and learning along the way. The grant has already served as a catalyst for new goals and inspiring dreams.
The Mastering Mountains grant will help me with the physio and training programme I need to prepare for the mission, building my strength, stamina and capacity and focusing on lower limb function, balance and endurance. I’ll also focus on consistency and being present in the journey of progressing towards my goal, noticing the small improvements and being kind to myself on the tougher days.
If you could say one thing to someone with a similar condition, what would you say and why?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Start small and be kind to yourself as you grieve and then grow. Just do the next right thing: it’s our moment-by-moment decisions that define us and what our life becomes. Sometimes, things can look and feel too hard, but if we focus on the next right thing, we can focus on taking one step that will lead us closer to our best life.
Thank you
Mastering Mountains would like to offer a huge thank you to our sponsors for making this grant possible:
The North Face Explore Fund for funding the grant and supplying clothing;
MitoQ for a supply of their antioxidant supplement;
Bivouac Outdoor for their supply of free PLB hire;
Southern Approach for supplying equipment.