Kaitlyn Cervi, a 33-year-old medical student, recently found out she has Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, an incurable disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, gradually causing serious disability. It affects about twice the number of women as men. In the years leading to her diagnosis, Kaitlyn experienced a mix of symptoms including extreme fatigue, migraine, “brain fog” and intermittent eye pain, but nothing so bad or so specific that she ever went to the doctor about it.

Her doctors think her background as a competitive gymnast may have kept her balance-related symptoms at bay. While medication helps manage her MS, Kaitlyn sees her daily exercise routine as essential to staying ahead of the disease.