There's no turning back

When you get diagnosed with something as unpredictable as Multiple Sclerosis, you lose your ability to see the big picture. Your vision gets shortened, your whole world crumbles. I used to say there’s a before and after my diagnosis; But what if I tell you that MS is my motivation? It Is what pushed me to live my wildest fantasies!

My whole life gravitates towards being submerged in water. From a young age, water was an essential part of who I am. I was on top of my game physically when something arrived unexpectedly to disturb the calmness of the waters of my inner self.

Multiple Sclerosis came to my life in 2010, bringing desolation and despair along its course. One of the things I asked the doctor that diagnosed me was, “Would I still be able to freedive?” The answer was clear:

“You’re entering a new chapter in your life’s story, always look forward with optimism, you can still achieve great things Giovanni.”

Months passed by, everything related to my previous life made me feel terribly depressed. Like electricity, I took the path of least resistance. Desperate measures needed to be made; I stored all my freediving gear inside of a box, medals, trophies, photos. A lifetime of memories and achievements gone for good. Did it help? Maybe, I couldn’t stand watching them every day, it was vile torture.

My whole life changed again when I began to feel somewhat better physically. One of the first things that crossed my mind was to get back to the pool. I decided to give it a try, and swim for the first time after my sabbatical time away from water. How can I describe what I felt? It was pure bliss, lap after lap I managed to get further away from what was haunting me for more than a year. On water, MS has no control over my body.

I always say that multiple sclerosis doesn’t know how to swim; MS is afraid of water.

This disease is the catalyst to conquer my wildest fantasies. The Alcatraz crossing was one of them, it was perfect for me to get out of my comfort zone. I loved every single minute of it, the preparation made me feel alive again. I was working toward a goal, there was something to look ahead with optimism once more.

I trained for months, it felt like a follow-up of all those training sessions I performed for years. In my heart, it was the right thing to do; to get in touch with that side of me that I thought was lost forever. Multiple Sclerosis took a lot of me, but I was ready to strike back once again.

To change my routine was not a big deal physically, but mentally it was. I swim and hit the gym almost daily, I don’t call it training anymore, this is my therapy of choice.

I felt this sense of self-worth every single day that I trained with the Alcatraz challenge as a fixed idea. I needed that thrill, to strive for something more. MS was not an excuse anymore, my only concern was, “I need to be ready for the challenge ahead. I can do it.”

The crossing was simply stunning, from all the open water swim competitions I’ve done, I can say that this one was one of the most meaningful of them all. To be in the middle of the bay, looking at the Golden Gate bridge in the distance was simply stunning. I remember thinking, “I am so lucky to be here, this is even better that what I’ve ever imagined. My wildest fantasies can still become a reality.”

Believe me when I say this, you’re still capable of achieving your goals. Not even a chronic illness can shatter your dreams.

In the grand scheme of things, this is only the beginning; I want to accomplish more. I 'm determined to show others that even with a chronic illness like MS, nothing can stop you. You might need to change course, but the destination remains the same.

There’s no turning back.