Unable to run for almost a year, Marianne Paquette overcame many obstacles to be able to run the half marathon in Quebec tomorrow.
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The naturally very athletic young woman was struck by the chronic variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome ten years ago in her thirties.
The disease caused loss of sensation and reflexes in the extremities, a major problem that, if untreated, would have resulted in disability. At this point the battle had just begun.
“It was devastating and not normal. I lost all of my physical fitness and started from scratch. If I hadn’t been treated, I would have been disabled. I lost feeling in my legs and hands. I lay on my back for six months without doing anything,” explains the school psychologist.
determination
Very determined, Marianne Paquette didn’t stay on the mat for long after this devastating blow. Faced with the fear of not being able to move, she put on her sneakers as quickly as possible.
“I started running again, but it hurt a lot. For a long time it was said: run for a minute, walk for a minute. Ten years later, I can complete two half marathon events per season. I’m somewhere else and it’s the physical exercise that I think has made the difference in my recovery. Without running, I would never have come back like this,” she adds.
Since it is an autoimmune disease, she must undergo constant treatment to prevent the disease from recurring but also to be able to live a more normal life. During the pandemic, working from home was not an option.
Marianne Paquette was able to run her first half marathon, the Côte-de-Beaupré, three years after her life was turned upside down. In recent years she has even been able to save her time by almost 30 minutes.
energy dose
“I’ve seen people take on bigger challenges, but it still took three years. I had never run this distance before, but I did it. In the end the family was waiting for me. It gives you energy and makes you want to keep going. »
A decade later, she never imagined she would be running so much.
“This summer I ran 35 miles a week. For me it is incredible to achieve this distance at 45 years old. I am proud. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARIANNE PAQUETTE
More than 10,000 participants will take part in the various events of the Beneva de Québec Marathon presented by Montellier, which takes place this weekend by tomorrow. Registrations for this 24th edition have already been closed for seven weeks.