MEET ROCIO LOPEZ

October 2023

Rocio was inspired to take on Conquer Cradle Mountain for Do It For MS. Rocio raised an incredible $3,632 to help fight MS on her five-day hike through Tasmania’s wilderness.  And in 2024, Rocio is back for round two with the MS Plus Southern Alps Adventure. 

“The reasons I’ve chosen to do this trek are similar to Cradle Mountain.  I feel my body slowing down so by giving myself these challenges I’m able to push myself and keep myself mentally prepared.” 

When I took on Cradle Mountain “I was in a bit of a hole, feeling rubbish about myself and my capabilities, so I thought I needed a challenge.” 

While it has been a few years since Cradle Mountain, a few things from the experience have stuck with Rocio: “I’ve always been a big believer in use it or lose it. I do find it harder to stay motivated to keep active. Fatigue can also contribute to a lack of motivation. I felt so good after completing Cradle Mountain and I’m hoping for some more of the same this time around.” 

In the last few years “I’ve had a lot of stress in my life and that is quite concerning due to the detrimental impact this can have on my body. Having something to look forward helps me to focus on something more positive.” Says Rocio. 

“I find because I have MS, it made sense that If I were going to fundraise it would be for MS. I don’t like to ask for money, but it felt justified.” 

“The fundraising for me was very emotional because I received an overwhelming amount of support so quickly. We signed up late and my whole network – friends, friends of friends, family, colleagues, even people I haven’t seen for 20 years – were donating. It was humbling the amount of support I received.” 

Rocio teaches secondary school and even some of Rocio’s students donated. They know she lives with MS, and Rocio wanted to set an example for them that you can have faith in the medical system. 

“I’m so optimistic and blown away by how effective the treatments are. I want them to know there’s medicine out there. The world is not going to end with an MS diagnosis.” 

Rocio admits she’s not the fittest when it comes to endurance, but something with Cradle Mountain just worked for her. 

“It was really funny – once I was on the mountain something really weird happened. I could do a lot more than I thought I could. I don’t know what it was... If it was adrenaline or wanting to go faster, I just propelled onwards.” 

Rocio’s journey with MS started in 2018 when motion sickness become chronic.  

“I’d make jokes. I walked into school and said ‘Oh my god, the room is moving', then, I had scans and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I had MS for years, I was fatigued and as a mother of two and I thought that was just life. When I was diagnosed, I was relieved because I thought I had a brain tumour. I started on medication but changed to an infusion in 2020 after the first treatment stopped working. The infusion is amazing. 

“I initially didn’t want to commit to the infusions, but now I look forward to going and getting them. My MS is a struggle for my family. 

“I have second-stage progressive MS. I’m lucky enough to have found this out whilst there is still time (and awesome medication) to slow it down and hopefully stop it. Some people find out before drugs are needed, and others when the drugs don’t work.” 

Rocio says, “I think I'm still in denial. Sometimes I worry when I speak to other people with MS and their conditions are worse. But then I think I’ve got this far. I’m hoping when this medication stops working, they’ll have a cure.” 

“I’m quite lucky, I know I’m in the danger zone, but I’m so lucky they found the MS when they did – If they found it five years later it could be irreversible.” 

Rocio faced fatigue in the lead-up to the event, even contemplating pulling out or postponing her adventure to Conquer Cradle Mountain.  

“I really struggled taking training seriously. Often, when I wanted to train, I was too tired. So, I’d do silly little walks and call it training. I’d walked to the pub and call it training. 

"But when I did train seriously in the Blue Mountains, I struggled so much that I thought, ‘Oh I’m going to die. How am I going to do Cradle Mountain?’ It bummed me out, but my younger son stepped up. He's a teenager and usually has to be dragged anywhere. He encouraged me, saying all the positive hippy quotes I’d told him back at me. After that, I prepared myself to not complete it if I couldn’t do it. But I did finish. I was one of the first to finish on most days. It was I was like the energizer bunny. It's never happened before.” 

“I pushed myself and went with the anticipation that I might have to pull out. When first got to Tassie and driving up the mountain I was getting a lot of motion sickness, then something kicked in and it was fine.” 

Rocio faced fatigue in the lead-up to the event, even contemplating pulling out or postponing her adventure to Conquer Cradle Mountain.  

“I really struggled taking training seriously. Often, when I wanted to train, I was too tired. So, I’d do silly little walks and call it training. I’d walked to the pub and call it training. 

"But when I did train seriously in the Blue Mountains, I struggled so much that I thought, ‘Oh I’m going to die. How am I going to do Cradle Mountain?’ It bummed me out, but my younger son stepped up. He's a teenager and usually has to be dragged anywhere. He encouraged me, saying all the positive hippy quotes I’d told him back at me. After that, I prepared myself to not complete it if I couldn’t do it. But I did finish. I was one of the first to finish on most days. It was I was like the energizer bunny. It's never happened before.” 

“I pushed myself and went with the anticipation that I might have to pull out. When I first got to Tassie and driving up the mountain I was getting a lot of motion sickness, then something kicked in and it was fine.” 

“I think the biggest thing I learned is that we have this inner resilience that cuts in and takes over when we need it. I learned that I was capable, I returned from Tasmania with renewed strength, I found I’m resilient and I’m fine.”  

Rocio managed her MS with lots of snacks to keep her energy levels up throughout the trek.  

“There was so much food. My energy drops very quick, on the third day I was so tired at the end that I went to bed really early. I remember my partner trying to wake me up and feed me.”  

“The mountain itself is absolutely amazing. The tour guides were lovely, they were such good humans – I felt blessed they were leading us. Getting to know myself and my inner resilience was a lovely experience, and it was such a beautiful trek. I enjoyed it.” 

For anyone contemplating getting involved, Rocio says: “Just do it!” 

“Don't be frightened, just join up. I pushed myself to do it because I know I can pull out because I'm tired. If you need to rest, you can. Life’s too short to live with regrets.” 

“Honestly, I didn’t think I could finish before I started. I would have been disappointed if I didn’t try because I gained something from that.” 

You could experience the life-changing feeling of an MS Adventure Trek in April next year, with The MS Plus Southern Alps Adventure. Limited places remain for our second departure. Find out more and request an information pack.