MEET BEATE OXLEY
23 NOVEMBER 2022
For two years, her bike has sat in the garage untouched. Beate has felt sad being unable to ride due to her balance being affected by her multiple sclerosis.
Beate has loved riding ever since she got her first bike for her 8th birthday. She would ride almost every day and, later, ride a bike to work no matter what the weather. After her MS diagnosis, Beate continued riding as long as she could, switching to an e-bike when pedalling became too hard. However, due to balance issues, Beate began to have difficulty staying on the bike and had several bad falls. Suddenly, riding a bike wasn’t possible anymore.
But thanks to her MS Go for Gold Scholarship, Beate is back on the road with her new e-trike – made possible by amazing fundraising like yours.
“Now I can ride my bike again it’s wonderful. It makes me really happy,” says Beate.
With her MS Go for Gold Scholarship funds Beate purchased the smallest e-trike available so she is able to lift it herself maintaining her independence.
“I didn’t want to give away riding and being active. The scholarship has helped me to achieve my dream to ride again.”
“Riding an e-trike is a dream for me. I am less likely to lose my balance and it reminds me of my childhood, when I rode a bike and just had fun and enjoyed everything around me.”
Beate has lived with MS for 27 years. When she was first diagnosed, she experienced foot numbness, pins and needles, and blindness. Despite the challenges, she maintains a positive mindset and dedication to exercise.
“MS has 1,000 faces and every one of them is completely different.”
“Day to day for me is I wear modified shoes. I have to correct my walking with every step. I could not walk without correcting my step. MS affects my whole right side: I have foot drop. I wear functional electrical stimulation to lift up my foot which helps me a lot to walk.”
“Every step the MS affects me. But I have it under control.”
“I have to keep going.”
Beate is very active with qi gong, tai chi, nordic walking, hydrotherapy, swimming and meditation to live well with her MS. Now, she can finally get back to what she loves most of all – bike riding with her new e-trike thanks to her MS Go for Gold Scholarship.
“A big thank you to the fundraisers that made this possible.”
“We have only a limited life, everyone has this. We need to make the best out of every second. This is my theory to live with MS. I have to accept it that I have it, it never goes away but there’s lots of science and studying maybe one day it will go away.”
Thank you for supporting people like Beate to achieve their dreams through the MS Go for Gold Scholarships.
Whether it's being able to attend an exercise program, purchase equipment, undertake a course or travel, the scholarships are awarded to people with multiple sclerosis with a wide range of goals and dreams.
Your fundraising will change the lives of many people living with multiple sclerosis. Thank you!
