Latest news with #MSwithoutBarriers
Wales Online
13 hours ago
- Health
- Wales Online
Olympic medallist Lina Nielsen determined to raise more MS awareness after major Manchester talk
Olympic medallist Lina Nielsen determined to raise more MS awareness after major Manchester talk Lina Nielsen, who was diagnosed with MS aged 17, addressed NHS healthcare professionals, local government members and those in the public sector on the condition at Manchester Central as part of the NHS ConfedExpo 2025 Nielsen addressed NHS healthcare professionals, local government members and those in the public sector on the chronic condition at Manchester Central as part of the NHS ConfedExpo 2025 Olympic bronze medallist Lina Nielsen has vowed to spend the rest of her life campaigning for greater awareness of multiple sclerosis after speaking about the condition at a major conference in Manchester. The 29 year old, who was diagnosed with MS aged 17, addressed NHS healthcare professionals, local government members and those in the public sector on the condition at Manchester Central as part of the NHS ConfedExpo 2025. The opportunity to give the talk is the next step in her 'MS without Barriers' campaign, which Nielsen started in November last year, with the aim of changing people's perception of MS and help those living with it. 'Continuing this campaign is something that I hope to do for the rest of my life,' said Nielsen, who won 4x400m relay bronze in Paris last summer. MS without Barriers is a campaign led by Lina Nielsen in partnership with Sanofi, which aims to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and address misunderstanding and stigma. For more information about MS visit 'We need to keep talking about MS and raising awareness about it because of the fact so few people get diagnosed, it is not something that's at the forefront. Article continues below 'It is about fighting to be heard and hopefully it can be us leading the fight and carrying on changing people's lives.' Nielsen was part of the British team, alongside her twin sister Laviai, who also has MS, that seized a spot on the Parisian podium last year. The pair's achievements show that having MS doesn't have to define what a person can and can't do, and Nielsen is keen to use her platform to break down barriers and get that message across. 'I can definitely reach a lot more people with the platform of having been to the Olympics,' she continued. 'I gained so many more followers so a lot of people learned about me, and about MS and what it is. 'I'm very grateful to have had that platform and that I've been able to showcase, not so much that everyone who lives with MS should be a high-performance athlete, but that MS takes different forms, and can be different for everyone, but doesn't have to stop you achieving your goals, big or small. 'I just want to show what is possible and that MS doesn't always look the way people expect it to. And hopefully with my platform, more and more people can feel empowered to tell their story.' MS is an autoimmune neurological condition, affecting the brain and spinal cord, where the body's own immune system attacks its nerves. MS affects 2.5 times more women than men. In the UK, it is estimated there are more than 150,000 people with MS, which equates to around one in every 400 people. The symptoms of MS vary, but they can affect all parts of the body, which means MS can take time to diagnose and this also contributes to misconceptions about the condition. Lina Nielsen (R) won the 400m event in Philadelphia (Image:) In creating the 'MS without Barriers' campaign, Nielsen joined forces with global pharmaceutical company Sanofi, a company she described as 'so committed to changing people's lives', to make the initiative a reality. And after speaking in front of figures from the world of healthcare and local politics, Nielsen hopes to continue with her goal of raising awareness, educating those that can affect change and challenge misconceptions. 'The main thing to get across is we're talking about the initial diagnosis process and how difficult that can be for someone to, number one, receive a diagnosis, and number two, then navigate their life after getting that diagnosis,' she added. 'For me, that take-home message is how a patient leaves that room can make or break a human being's life. 'That is what this campaign is all about, breaking down barriers by talking more about MS, there'll be then more and more research into it and then one day we might have a cure. 'And to have played a small part in that would be amazing. 'This year has shown me that, yes, sport is big, but this is even bigger. I'm glad sport has helped make this campaign, but this is something that I will carry on fighting for for the rest of my life.' She will also be joining a delegation to the House of Commons later this year to discuss ways to support the MS community. Article continues below Lina Nielsen was speaking at the NHS ConfedExpo 2025 in Manchester as a part of her MS without Barriers campaign with Sanofi, to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and address misunderstanding and stigma. For more information about MS, visit
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nielsen combating misconceptions behind MS with new campaign
By Megan Armitage Olympic medallist Lina Nielsen is dispelling the misconceptions behind multiple sclerosis with the new MS without Barriers campaign, in a bid to assist others on their own diagnosis journey. The 28-year-old, who helped Team GB win bronze in the women's 4x400m at Paris 2024 last summer, was diagnosed with MS aged 17 and initially believed that her athletics dreams were over due to her lack of education around the chronic disease. From assuming that it only affected the elderly to now leading a brand-new campaign on how MS can affect anyone, Nielsen knows that she's come far in those 11 years. "I got diagnosed and the only place I had ever seen MS was in a biology textbook for A-Level," she said. "I remember so clearly that the image in the textbook was an older man in a wheelchair, and I thought 'that can't be me, this can't be the correct diagnosis' since I was a young woman who hadn't even turned 18 yet. "So, I had those misconceptions myself and was therefore in denial. "I was scared because I thought I would be in a wheelchair and my life would completely change and I could never continue my dreams of going to an Olympics." MS is an autoimmune neurological condition, affecting the brain and spinal cord, where the body own immune system attacks its nerves. MS affects 2.5 times more women than men. But Nielsen and her identical twin sister Laviai, who was also diagnosed with MS in 2021, have proved first hand that MS doesn't have to define your abilities, both having represented Team GB on the athletics track and won bronze medals at Paris 2024. MS affects everybody differently, presenting different challenges to overcome. And with her dreams of becoming an Olympian finally coming true, the runner is now looking forward to pushing herself further to keep her spot in that pivotal relay. "That relay completely changed my life," she said. "Getting five out of five medals in Paris, people are now wanting to make these relay teams, it is really powerful. "We've shown what it can look like and how it progresses." It is estimated there are over 150,000 people with MS in the UK, around one in every 400 people, and Nielsen has joined forces with global pharmaceutical company Sanofi to form the campaign 'MS without Barriers' to promote awareness and education around the disease. As well as public education via the media and social media, Nielsen will also be joining a delegation to the House of Commons later this year to discuss ways to support the MS community and admitted that she is thrilled to be at the forefront of a campaign she is so passionate about. "Whenever I speak about MS, I think about someone who might be newly diagnosed and is figuring out how to navigate life and what this means for them," she said. "I will speak to them because when I was diagnosed, I wish I had someone there to show how you could continue living life to the best that you can and to not let it limit you. "My platform only goes so far so I'm really glad I have the partnership with Sanofi and to be working with the MS Society and MS Together. "Hopefully we can remove some misconceptions about MS and provide education and awareness."
