Health
Man with multiple sclerosis runs marathons on all seven continents
Derek Stehlak was 39 when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a neurological disease that makes it difficult for him to walk, see and think.
Now 52, the Las Vegas resident has regained his health and achieved an ambitious goal: to run a marathon on every continent. He'll start the challenge in early 2022, and the idea came to him after meeting other runners who were trying to do the same thing in Antarctica.
His last race was Brisbane Marathon He completed the race in Australia on June 2 with a friend he met at last year's Everest Marathon, he told USA Today on Tuesday afternoon.
“It went very well,” he said, adding that he finished in three hours and 30 minutes.
“It was my second-best time out of the 36 marathons I've run. It was a good course. The weather was good too. It was a little humid, which I'm not used to being from Las Vegas. But overall, it was a really good run.”
He told USA Today that being diagnosed with MS inspired him to run more after doctors told him he might lose the ability to run, but he said it only made him want to run even more.
“Before I was diagnosed I had no intention of running a marathon, but now it's like my favorite thing to do,” he said.
Before he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Stefleak smoked cigarettes for most of his life and did little exercise, but after his diagnosis he knew he needed to get in shape and live a healthier lifestyle, he told USA Today.
The journey to races on every continent was slow but steady.
After receiving her diagnosis, Stefleak started jogging more and noticed that after about a mile, her left leg would start dragging behind her.
“That motivated me to run more because I was a little scared,” he says. “The same goes for quitting smoking.”
By 2014, he realized he could run farther without limping. He kept running, and a few years later, he signed up for a half marathon, but had to stop and walk about 10 miles in. In another race, he began to limp and hobble around mile 11 or 12.
“I dragged my foot backwards to finish the race and I ended up with a big hole in my shoe,” he said.
But he kept running, and when he heard about a worldwide race that included Antarctica, he gave it a go, meeting people with the goal of running a marathon on every continent.
“After a few months there and having a great experience, I thought, 'Now I'll give it a go,'” he said.
Focus on the Boston Marathon
In addition to racing on each continent, Stehlach aimed to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
It helped him to meet people who had come close to qualifying for the Olympics, and they told him about their training plans.
“After four months of rigorous training, I qualified for the Boston Marathon in April,” he said, adding that he had been trying to qualify for seven years.
To train for the past few races, he said he'd worked with a coach for months and followed a “rigorous training plan of running every day” at different distances and speeds.
He feels that racing the way he does is, at least in part, “keeping my MS in check.”
One of the toughest races he's ever done was on Everest: Before the race, he had to hike two weeks to base camp and spend two nights there, unable to sleep one night because of altitude sickness.
It's been the hardest, but also the most rewarding, he said.
He used to run alone but now he runs in a group and it's a lot of fun. He loves meeting other runners.
“The Las Vegas Marathon is coming up later this year,” he says. “When I run it, I'll probably know about 50 other runners and it'll be a lot of fun to be a part of.”
Stefleak said he doesn't hide his diagnosis, but most people don't know he has multiple sclerosis.
The disease has not only inspired him to live a healthier lifestyle, but also helped him overcome his fear of needles: He started taking medication soon after his diagnosis, but he has to inject himself three days a week.
“I actually considered not getting the treatment because the only treatment available was an injection,” he says. “I was sweating and nervous, and it took me an hour and a half to give myself the injection. I just put the syringe down, walked around the table and drank some water.”
He's happy to be symptom-free, he told USA Today on Tuesday afternoon.
“I feel healthier than I've ever felt,” he said.
The runner experienced a “strange attack” while working in an office.
Stefleak described his first health issue in 2011 as a “really weird attack” in which he was working in his office and his body became “completely stiff” for anywhere between 30 seconds and a minute.
“The numbness spread from my feet to my knees and then to my hips,” he told USA Today, adding that he initially thought he was having a stroke.
He saw a doctor and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) about three months later.
MS doesn't have to be debilitating: “You can still pursue your dreams. You can still pursue your competitions.”
Dr. Le Hua, the neurologist treating him at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Brain Health Center in Las Vegas, said MS is an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack the lining of the nerves.
She said most people with MS are not disabled and live normal lives.
“MS can be disabling, but with early treatment and some lifestyle changes, it doesn't become a disabling disease,” she told USA Today on Tuesday. “You can still pursue your dreams and compete in sports.”
She says there's a myth about MS that exercise makes the disease worse — some people believe that increased body temperature can make the nervous system less responsive — which leads some to believe that people with MS shouldn't exercise.
But that's not true, says Hua: In fact, exercise can be a lifestyle change that can help you function better, feel better, and relieve some of your symptoms, like pain and fatigue.
A healthy diet is also important, she says. She encourages people with MS to try a Mediterranean diet, which is high in fruits and vegetables, low in saturated fats and sugars, and higher in natural whole grains. Anti-inflammatory meat, fish, and poultry are also good choices, she says.
Finally, she said it's important to quit smoking.
“Unfortunately, smoking is associated with disability and worsening of multiple sclerosis,” she said, adding that Stefleak benefited from an early diagnosis and early treatment.
Stefleak said he doesn't think much about his diagnosis except when it's time to take medication or refill a prescription, and it hasn't stopped him.
He said his health and running success on each continent is a testament to the importance of perseverance, a positive attitude and following doctor's instructions.
Now that the race is over, he has more to look forward to, including a race in the North Pole in August.
He noted that in order to build self-confidence, it is important to be courageous and keep trying.
“Everyone is capable of more than they think they are,” he said.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA Today's NOW team. She's from 757 in Norfolk, Virginia. Follow her on Twitter:Saleen Martin or by emailemail address.
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