Going the Distance: When Someone Believes in Us!

I've been so blessed to have earth angels come into my life to help me believe in myself and my ability to achieve great things.

Three years after contracting paralytic polio, I was sexually, physically and emotionally abused by my father and maternal grandmother. After two epic camp failures, my physiatrist, Dr. Eugene Moskowitz who was in charge of my recovery from polio suggested to my parents that they send me to Badger Sports Camp, a camp that emphasized swimming as part of its daily activities. He knew that swimming would be just what I needed to help with my confidence and to build strength in muscles compromised by the polio virus. Of course I could not tell them what was going on but we worked together to coax muscles and nerves back to health.

You can read about my triumphant competition in the Butterfly Olympics at the end of summer camp by following this link.

Joe Stetz who gave up his Olympic dream to become a physician and helped me to become a competitor is pictured below on the far left:


His support and encouragement instilled in me that I could overcome obstacles and challenges and know what it means to be a competitor and a winner.

I mention another earth angel in that blog - Ryan J. Means, DC who I met in March of 2015 after a serious knee injury in December of 2014. I'd almost given up on my running and almost gave up on going the distance in my healing journey. Just a little over 10 years ago, I left my award winning career as a VA social worker to heal the effects of paralytic polio and trauma that manifested as Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western medicine standards.

Dr. Ryan turned me onto the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza and reminded me of my body's tremendous capacity to heal. He took exquisite care of me using the very best that chiropractic has to offer and combined that with his passion for movement, health and wellness. While he worked on me and with me, he'd tell me stories about clients he was helping through his work to improve their quality of life. He told me about his boot camp classes and how one day he expected to see me in his class. On his website he had the quote from Thomas Edison. In his heart and through his hands he reminded me that I would and could completely heal!

We've had great fun co-creating this miracle of healing that included healing that knee injury and growing a new gastroc muscle.



Even though he left for China in August of 2015 (and we're pictured above during our lunch together before he left) we stay in close touch.

Every Monday when I do my strength training workout as part of my training for a threepeat on the road to Bermuda Marathon Weekend, he is right here with me. He prescribed strength training exercises, exercises to help with balance, strengthen my gastroc and strengthen the muscles vital for running and injury prevention.



Whenever I get nervous about training for a threepeat of the Bermuda Half Marathon in January of 2018, I remember Joe Stetz and Dr. Ryan.

When someone believes in us, we can go the distance and achieve whatever goal it is we set our minds to.

Go the distance with strength and courage!
~Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):