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Champion cyclist shares inspiring epilepsy story

Posted by
Lesley McMenamin, Business Unit CNS, UCB Australia
07-Oct-2011
Having been diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 22 – and losing her driving license as a result – Marion took up cycling. What started as a practical solution to a transport problem quickly turned into a passion that took her all the way to the Olympics.

That’s what makes Marion such a great ambassador for people with epilepsy and it’s why we are so proud to have her as a UCB Patient Advocate.

We were delighted she made it to Australia to take part in the inaugural Ride4Epilepsy fundraising bike ride which took place in Melbourne on September 25 – an initiative which is part of our commitment to raise community awareness and understanding of epilepsy.

Not only did Marion take the time to speak with members of the Australian epilepsy community, but she also shared her story with the Australian media. It was fantastic to hear her experience of living and winning with epilepsy, and for the public to get a real insight into the disease.

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Marion told her story in an excellent interview on Channel Ten News during which she discussed misunderstandings around epilepsy and the stigma this can cause.

“Everybody probably knows somebody with epilepsy but people are afraid to speak about it because there is some kind of taboo associated with it,” she explained.

Her own greatest fear was losing friends who were frightened by epilepsy or didn’t know what to do when Marion had seizures. This is what drives her to raise awareness about the disease and we’re delighted to play our part in helping to get this message across.

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