Tracey Hall: an interview
Tracey Hall in the Tararua Ranges
“Never give up. No matter how hard it seems, feels or is: keep pushing forward and don’t look back.”
Nick Allen recently caught up with 2018 grant recipient Tracey Hall, to find out more about what receiving the grant has meant to her and how she is feeling while preparing for her upcoming adventure to Machu Picchu.
Nick (N): What’s one or two things that you hope to change, with the help of the grant?
Tracey (T): One of the biggest things is people’s perspective of MS, themselves and others. Someone can have a disability, but it doesn’t mean you have to be disabled! I hope that this grant helps me prove to people that if you have a goal and set your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. I found myself in a wheelchair in February 2018 and here I am now, working my butt off as I train hard for Machu Picchu!
N: Tell us about your goal and why you chose it.
T: For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to go to Machu Picchu, but I never really thought it could happen. Machu Pichu is a fascinating place and is considered to be one of the wonders of the world. It is also a sacred and spiritual place, and in the old times, it was accessed only by the Inca Trail. On the trail, you climb to amazing heights. I can’t wait to be well above the clouds and looking down on other mountains —it gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. This will be an extraordinary goal to accomplish. I hope that in completing it, I will learn new things about myself and redefine what’s possible.
N: What are the challenges you must overcome to achieve your goal?
T: My last relapse was a nasty one. It has left me with a weak right leg and also the further complication of clots in my leg and lungs. I am working very hard to regain the strength, and I am making good progress in sorting out the clots. Exercise and medication makes all the difference.
N: If you could tell other people with MS one thing, what would it be?
T: Never give up. No matter how hard it seems, feels or is: keep pushing forward and don’t look back.
You can follow Tracey’s journey on Instagram.
Mastering Mountains Charitable Trust thanks Macpac, MitoQ and World Expeditions for their generous support of Tracey’s grant.
This post was first published by MSNZ.