Taking it in stride: 20 years after her MS diagnosis, marathon runner is as active as ever, thanks to advances in treatment

Jennifer Pevec had been batting away the warning signs for months: the bone-deep fatigue, the recurring foot numbness. But as she neared the finish line of her second marathon, she lost feeling in her right leg and started tripping over her own feet. That’s when she knew. “Something was wrong.”Soon after, Ms. Pevec was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. At 36, she had to step away from a high-intensity career in marketing communications that she loved. She was in pain and regularly cried in the hours between dropping off and picking up her two small children. And running was no longer possible; her doctors said she would need a wheelchair within five years.