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| Classmates Meg Hasek-Watt and Jessie Sheppard. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
When one more stroke seems like too much, or one more step seems like one too many, Jessie Sheppard will think about her Dal classmate Meg Hasek-Watt and her daily battle with arthritis.
鈥淚 chose Meg as my inspiration,鈥� says Ms. Sheppard, 26, from Pinawa, Manitoba. 鈥淪he鈥檚 young and she has arthritis鈥擨 think people know that arthritis affects people who are elderly, but it strikes children and youth as well.鈥�
鈥淚 feel very odd about it all,鈥� responds Ms. Hasek-Watt, with a laugh. 鈥淚 feel like I should wear a cape and proclaim, 鈥業鈥檓 an arthritis hero!鈥� I鈥檓 behind her 200 per cent. She鈥檚 doing some crazy things I would love to do.鈥�
This summer, Ms. Sheppard will embark on a two-stage arthritis-awareness adventure: first, a swim across the Northumberland Strait from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island in the shadow of Confederation Bridge in July; then, a hike to the peak of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, in August.
鈥淚 would rather do it in secret,鈥� she confesses. 鈥淏ut then I thought I may as well channel it to a good cause.鈥�
She鈥檚 been training hard all winter: running twice a week and swimming lengths of the pool two or three times a week. She also bikes from Dartmouth to AV俱乐部 in good weather, is a scuba instructor and loves to play聽 tackle football.
She signed up for the Arthritis Society鈥檚 Joints in Motion鈥檚 Kilimanjaro hike last September, 鈥渂ut then the health promoter in me comes out and says I should promote an activity that people with arthritis can do, like swimming.鈥� That鈥檚 when she decided to add the 13-kilometre swim across the strait.
As well as training and going to graduate school (鈥淥h that,鈥� she laughs), Ms. Sheppard is also raising money for Joints in Motion. She鈥檚 halfway toward her goal of $9,000.
鈥淭here are so few people who understand arthritis in young people,鈥� says Ms. Hasek-Watt, who was diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis 10 years ago, when she was 17. 鈥淚t makes sense for me to want to talk about it because I have it.
鈥淏ut for Jessie!鈥� Ms. Hasek-Watt shakes her head in amazement. 鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful to have a champion out there like Jessie.鈥�
The two women share a lot in common: both are taking their master鈥檚 degrees in health promotion at AV俱乐部 and are planning summer weddings. But incredibly, they hadn鈥檛 met in person until last week鈥擬s. Hasek-Watt has been doing her degree long distance after a friend鈥檚 death last year called her home to Vancouver. They struck up a friendship after Ms. Sheppard sent e-mails to her classmates letting them know what she was up to. Ms. Hasek-Watt e-mailed back to thank her and they鈥檝e been tight Facebook friends ever since.
鈥淭hank you,鈥� said Ms. Hasek-Watt, giving her friend a hug. 鈥淭hank you for everything.鈥澛犅�
To sponsor Jessie Sheppard鈥檚 efforts regarding arthritis,聽you can聽donate via her .