"Barrel Racer Laura Kimball: Galloping Against Multiple Sclerosis"
For as long as Laura can remember, horses have been a part of her life. Her fascination began at a young age and led her to begin participating in barrel racing. This form of rodeo consists of combining a horse’s athletic ability, and the horsemanship skills of a rider, to safely and successfully maneuver a horse in a clover leaf pattern around three barrels placed in a triangle in the center of an arena. Her passion for barrel racing only grew as she began to participate in the sport competitively.
In 1991, at the age of 25, Laura was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) after experiencing numbness in her legs. She was told to quit her job and sell her horses because she would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
Laura was devastated by the thought of quitting her job and giving up her life-long passion of barrel racing, and she decided that she was not going to sit idle and let MS take control of her life. "People’s dreams don’t have to be that extravagant. It can be dancing at a wedding, having a family, holding a baby…don’t let a disease like multiple sclerosis stand in the way."
As a part of the COPAXONE® (glatiramer acetate injection) pivotal trial study group, Laura began taking COPAXONE® in 1994. Although individual results may vary, with the help of healthy diet, exercise and her daily injection of COPAXONE®, Laura has not experienced a single relapse since beginning therapy, and continues to live a life filled with great achievements and memories.
Today, Laura, her husband and her horse, Nernie, live in Appleton, WI. She is a chartered member of the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA), which is the largest equine organization to date, and she was the Wisconsin State Director from 1994-1999. Laura was the 2002 and 2006 Wisconsin NBHA 1D State Champion, the 2002 NBHA Member of the Year and the first member inducted into the National Barrel Horse Hall of Fame. Also, in 2008, Laura won first place in the third division of the NBHA World Championships and has won multiple NBHA Wisconsin District 1 awards.
Laura is committed to sharing her story and encouraging others to continue pursuing their dreams despite their diagnosis. "With the help of my drug therapy and the support of my family and friends, I have gained hope, determination and discipline – the hope that I can achieve my dreams, the determination to succeed and the discipline to work hard and never give up," says Laura. "Whatever your life battle is, don’t stop believing in yourself."
Team COPAXONE®
Laura is sponsored in part by Teva Neuroscience as a member of Team COPAXONE®. She is just one example of someone who is living with RRMS and pursuing her dreams. Team COPAXONE® celebrates the accomplishments of people, such as Laura, who refuse to let MS stand in their way. Members are working to change the perceptions that society holds of people living with MS.
Advances in Medicine
Continuing research has led to treatments that can modify the immune processes thought to be responsible for RRMS. The FDA has approved drugs for RRMS, such as COPAXONE®. Individual results may vary.
Call 1-800-887-8100 for more information about COPAXONE®, Team COPAXONE®, or multiple sclerosis.
097005209/090421