Danielle Koblinski, a full-time fitness instructor from River Oaks, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the height of her career. It didn’t stop her, though.
She is riding in the Texas MS 150 cycling marathon this weekend in an effort to inspire and create more awareness of the disease across Houston.
The Texas MS 150 takes off from Houston on Saturday, April 30, and continues to College Station on Sunday, May 1. It is estimated more than $7 million has been raised for the event, according to the organizations website at https://tinyurl.com/bdks73j.
Koblinski has been a fitness instructor for 10 years. She graduated from the University of Houston with a dance degree and has since been an instructor for a multitude of athletic activities, such as barre ballet and yoga. Despite her condition, she continues educating and inspiring throughout the world of fitness.
On her initial diagnosis in 2016, Koblinski was uneased. Her only knowledge of the condition at the time was from a colleague with whom she attended high school, who also had the condition. At the time, she only associated MS with looking older and heavier. Now, she continues to teach fitness as she learns more and more.
“I was terrified, I was scared, I was sad, I was confused,” recalled Koblinski. “Mostly, because I knew about five percent about what MS was, and what MS looked like. So when I got diagnosed with MS, with me being so physical, with me having my degree in dance, what now was I supposed to do if my body wasn’t functioning the right way? So, it’s been a learning process, and it was six years ago so it still feels very new.”
After her diagnosis, she was distraught but knew that she would have to get up again. She said that it was the idea of being able to inspire others that saved her life in the end.
Joining the MS 150 was set up by a former coworker who just happened to have a team for the marathon. Though initially hesitant, that friend’s insistence gave her just the right motivation to go for it.
“I told her that I would love to do the MS 150 one day,” Koblinski said. “But that unfortunately I had balance issues, and I couldn’t do it with over 10,000 people around me because I could barely turn. And she goes: ‘We have a team for the MS 150.’ She went behind my back and started a GoFundMe, and gave my story about how I was full-time fitness at the height of my career.”
The GoFundMe would reach its goal in a mere two hours. Using those funds, her friend was able to buy Koblinski a $1,500 bike for the race, alongside a new helmet and shoes.
Koblinski stated that her goal with the MS 150 is to spread awareness of MS, as well as provide a clearer picture of what MS looks like. In particular, she said she wanted to provide an image of people her age, who are still physically active and living their lives despite the condition.
“One of the biggest things for me is representation,” Koblinski said. “And I really honed into that this year, because they featured me in an article in Momentum Magazine, and that’s what I was missing in my life with this journey with MS. Because every time I opened a magazine, it was commercialized. Nobody ever looks like me.”
She was featured in Momentum Magazine’s Winter edition “MS Through The Ages,” which focused on individuals in their 30s suffering with MS. She stated that it’s important for those with the condition to tell their story, and that doing so will provide a great help to the MS community and the individuals within.
