Duncan Grant
“What I am constantly striving to change is the mindset, in myself and others, that a diagnosis of MS is not the end. ... With the right mindset, medication, support, and health and wellbeing plan, diagnosis can be just the beginning.”
We, the Mastering Mountains team, are thrilled to introduce Duncan Grant, one of three grant recipients this year. We love the passion and dedication he brings and we are excited to support him in his goal. Below, we asked him a few questions, which he answered:
Tell us about yourself.
Kia ora, my name is Duncan. I'm a 52-year-old passionate Manawatu local who happens to live in Auckland. I have two amazing daughters, Sophie and Lucy, in their final years of high school. I've been a teacher for 25 years and am currently the Director of Sport at a primary/intermediate school in Auckland.
Duncan, with his daughters Sophie and Lucy.
Growing up on a farm near Taihape, I've always been fit and active. In my 20s, on my "big OE", I discovered Endurance Racing, long-distance running and adventures. When I moved to South Africa with my family in 2004, I continued racing and got involved in canoe marathons. In 2004, we moved back to New Zealand with our young girls, and family life and work took over my adventure-racing life. My family, my friends, my sport and my job are the cornerstones of my life.
In May of 2020 I decided to see a doctor to get to the bottom of the ongoing knee pain I'd experienced. In addition to so many other things, COVID had meant a lot of "home gym" time, and I found my hamstrings tight and painful. The doctor referred me to a spinal surgeon. At the time, I didn't appreciate why this might be. Weirdly, instead of performing some sort of knee examination, he referred me for a full MRI. Three weeks later, he called with the results. In his opinion, my MRI showed signs of spinal and brain lesions, most likely indications of multiple sclerosis. This July is the 3rd anniversary of my diagnosis of a disease I believe I have probably had for a much longer time.
Show your support to Duncan and help other to get outdoors by making a donation.
What does it look like living with your diagnosis?
Day-to-day, I work full time as Director of Sport, which I love, but this does keep me very busy. It's a job which is a mix of administration (office duties) and organisation (dealing with kids and parents, sports people & venues). I'm a parent – and that means lots of ubering, catering, washing and general support services to two busy young women. I try to prioritise exercise each day, ocean or pool swimming, walking or on my Concept home rower. Some days I am just tired, so I will rest at home for the afternoon. Most evenings, you will find me on the couch as days are exhausting, especially with the extra fatigue I get with the MS.
People continually ask me why I am limping, assuming it's a sports injury. My left leg foot drop means I drag that leg; if I'm tired, the drag is worse. It's hard to know what to say without telling my whole life story but also remaining true to my reality of living with MS.
I did have another physical symptom written here, but actually, the biggest challenge for me on a day-to-day basis is the mind game. My mind plays tricks on me, often depending on fatigue, what else is happening in life or how busy I am. Reminding myself to take each day at a time: not catastrophising or overplaying my disability is the hardest thing for me. Similarly, reminding myself that it's OK to be tired and that I can't do everything is tough.
Learning to be vulnerable is something I didn't expect when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. Through my diagnosis, treatment and journey to date, I have come to appreciate the strength of being vulnerable, the superpower inherent in letting down your armour. Recently, I spoke at my workplace about my diagnosis and what it means to have MS. This semi-public acknowledgement was a tangible demonstration of the change in my mindset since diagnosis.
Duncan, with Rangitoto in the background.
Tell us about your mission.
My goal is to swim three, 3km ocean swimming events in Feburary and March 2024: Bean Rock, the Auckland Harbour Crossing and The Mount Swim. I chose this challenge as I love the ocean and the ocean swimming community. I had participated in these kinds of races before my diagnosis, and I wasn't sure I could ever do them again. In choosing to swim them, I want to prove to myself that my disease doesn't define me. And I want to show others what they can achieve with support and determination.
The thing that makes me most excited (or maybe scited: scared and excited) is the journey. Three kilometres is a long way in the ocean. I have left-side weakness, especially in my left leg. This worsens with more extended periods of exercise and can be triggered by changes in temperature and stress. MS has reduced my average ocean swim distance from 3.5km to 2km. These ocean swims will be a stretching goal for me. It will be a challenge and one I'm not sure I can achieve, but I'm excited to push myself.
Fortunately, these two races have lots of on-water support and safety in the event if I do find the distance too far. I'll also swim with friends from my swim group on either side of me to ensure I don't overestimate how I am tracking.
For me, there's the bigger purpose of my mission: to show others that there is hope and a pathway to being an active person with MS. The community I have around me, in my swimming community, my MS groups, my friends and family are the ones who give me this hope. I want to offer my story to others at the start of their journey or those looking for a change of approach part way along.
What I am constantly striving to change is the mindset, in myself and others, that a diagnosis of MS is not the end. Through my challenge, I want to show that it is not: with the right mindset, medication, support, and health and wellbeing plan, diagnosis can be just the beginning.
If you could have a giant billboard with anything on it, what would it say and why?
”If you don't like the road you are walking, start paving another one".
People will tell me they are so sorry when they learn I have MS. I'd also like to tell people that there's no need to apologise: it's not your fault! In many ways, MS has been a gift to me. It has taught me so much about myself that I would never have discovered. So, no need to apologise for my superpowers.
Thank you
Mastering Mountains would like to offer a huge thank you to our sponsors for making this grant possible:
MitoQ for a supply of their antioxidant supplement;
Rab for supplying clothing.
We also appreciate the generous support of CLM The Bays and Swim T3.