Video: Andy McKenna on Mountain Biking with Multiple Sclerosis in 'Evolution'

Oct 3, 2022 at 16:41
by SHIMANO  

As a teenager Andy McKenna was swept along by the first wave of mountain biking in the 80s. Throughout the decades that followed, Andy’s fat tyre obsession never waned. It took over every element of his life and ultimately became his career as a professional MTB guide. In 2007, a life-changing evolution began - one he could never have predicted in his lifetime.

Going higher, further, always escaping - like for many of us, bikes mean freedom to Andy. A Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis threatened to change all that. MS is a mountain biker’s worst nightmare: a progressive, incurable neuro-degenerative disease threatening to rob Andy of his sight, balance, grip and mobility. Never one to take life’s setbacks lying down, Andy figured out (and continues to figure out) ways to overcome the challenges that emerge.

Despite the uncertainty of not knowing what tomorrow has in store, Andy’s passion for mountain biking remains strong. In fact - it’s not an exaggeration to say - Andy’s love of exploring and riding the world’s most technical terrain still drives him forward today. Andy recognises that he may never completely outrun the debilitating effects of MS, but as you’ll see in this short film, we think they’ll have a pretty hard time overtaking him as he continues to evolve and adapt - riding, exploring and bikepacking his way through the remote, rugged terrain of his homeland, Scotland.

Finding new ways to ride, seeking support from friends and family when he needs it, and embracing every available technological opportunity means Andy can still reach the heights in new ways. Andy’s still having so much fun reaching the mountain tops on EP8 equipped Santa Cruz Heckler, he hopes everyone will be enticed to experience and share the pure joy of mountain biking.

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Member since Apr 7, 2000
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38 Comments
  • 24 0
 Keep riding Andy. Great video. My wife has MS and its been hard for her to bike because of her balance. Unfortunately even an ebike doesn't help. F*&# MS!
  • 17 0
 People like Andy and wife @kntr know a struggle like most of us can't even comprehend. I pray that we endeavor to find a solution to MS and ALS that can preserve quality of life and not drive the victims to bankruptcy. Auto immune diseases are quietly becoming more common and seem to be getting more virulent. This is something that truly needs our attention.

My stepfather, whom was also my personal hero, passed from MS 7 years ago. This man was fearless, unbreakable and had a lust for life that I have not seen in many, if any other people. He lived as if he was going to die tomorrow and was riding motorcycles until he could no longer, and then ATVs until he could no longer. Watching MS take him apart piece by piece sticks with me to this day and it makes my heart ache for those that have struggled, will continue to struggle or will discover they have this terrible disease and will struggle in the future.

God speed to your and your wife @kntr I know what you are going through. This disease makes victims of everyone within arms reach, those that suffer, those that treat it tirelessly with not enough funding and those that support and care give to the bitter end. Just know that you are not alone and it's worth reaching out to support groups such as those on reddit so you have a place for answers, support and an echo chamber to scream into.
  • 5 0
 My wife also has MS. I am sorry to hear that for your wife it is affecting her balance, and the ebike is not much comfort. For my wife it has been a great relief. Much like the story of Andy, me and my wife used to go on long rides and vacations to mountain bike. The ebike has brought that back into our lives since getting one. She is lucky without too many physical manifestations of the disease to date, but it really has zapped her stamina, and she like Andy has difficulty regulating her temperature. Anyhow I wish you and your wife the best. Keep pressing on.
  • 4 0
 My other half was diagnosed earlier this year, such a shitty disease. Luckily she has a less aggressive version and, thanks to the nhs, we’re really lucky not to have the financial worries of treatment. It’s still changed her life though, and mine to a much lesser extent. Her biggest struggle at the moment is fatigue, but she also has the same sort of symptoms as Andy (and your wife) in that her balance has been affected, along with some loss of feeling in feet and hands. On the positive side, thankfully the treatments available are much better than, say, twenty years ago, and fingers crossed progress continues to be made. F*ck MS, and best wishes and good luck to all affected.
  • 2 0
 @downbeat73: are you aware of 'Overcoming MS'? So much good advice there.
  • 1 0
 Thank you! It's a menace of a disease and I feel for you and your wife. I have learned so much from others whether through my 'stoked on MS' FB group, or via the organisation 'Overcoming MS'. All the best, Andy
  • 2 0
 Thank you and all the best to your wife @kntr
  • 8 0
 Great to see you riding Andy. I would like to share a few things that have helped me deal with MS myself. I was hit with an attack at age 46, I had lost about 80% use of my right arm, the right side of my body was affected. I could not hang on to the right handle bar, brake or shift gears. I crashed my DH bike gapping some stairs because my hand came off the handle bar. After that I had a Velcro brace made to hold my right hand to the bar, I had both brake levers on the left hand side with grip shift. I would also clip in, to ensure my feet were in the right place. I continued to ride many XC and DH type trails, crashed occasionally, but worked through my difficulties. I have always used a camel back for water, but carried a spare water bottle to douse my head to cool down. I could not wear upper body armor, as it was too hot. Arm pump was a huge problem, my arm right arm was very sore within a minute of riding, but I found that smoking a bit of marijuana took care of the muscle spasticity and allowed me to ride for hours. I was on a daily prescription injection for 10- years, ate a well balanced diet, made sure I got a good nights sleep, and mountain biking was my exercise and my rehabilitation. I have ridden many XC and DH trails since my attack, and my strength and stamina have improved greatly. My neurologist says I am a poster child for MS recovery, my appointments with him were more for me to brag about my progress. At nearly 62 years old, I am as strong as ever, people would never know I have MS. I am a firm believer the cardio workout from biking has mostly cured me of many annoying symptoms. Never stop riding, wish you all the best.
  • 1 0
 YESSS!! So great to hear this. Stay strong Bruce!
  • 5 0
 Hey man keep on riding ,cause I’m like you I just love riding my bike no matter what ,just getting out ,not an EBIKE yet ,but they are really amazing machines ,that help people that really like to ride a bike ,and get away to where we belong ,in the nature ,the best
  • 1 0
 100%
  • 6 0
 As a rider with MS this is both inspiring and the scariest to watch... Thank you Shimano for sharing Andy's story but not for making my eyes water... ( it must just be the wind)
  • 1 0
 Hey, everybody's MS journey is unique and worry's not going to help you or anyone so just crack on and don't waste a moment fretting about what may never materialise! Come join a whole bunch of us mountain biking MSers on the 'stoked on ms' FB or insta if you like. All the best, Andy
  • 6 0
 Andy is a great storyteller. I could listen to him read the phone book and be entertained. More power to you, Andy.
  • 2 0
 Cheers! I am available for hire!

Smile
  • 3 0
 Keep kicking arse Andy, glad you’re still getting out into that beautiful landscape. Big up to your missus, too. All you can do is crack on and make the most of what you’ve got, seems you’re doing just fine at that. Good luck mate.
  • 1 0
 Thank you very much!
  • 7 5
 There you have it. E-Bikes are an evolution of the MTB and you can't stop evolution. Stop arguing against it. It does not make sense. Now let us all get over that e-bike hating period, most of us are still in, and enjoy the new MTB. I'm in. Can someone "lend" me 7000 bucks? Please
  • 1 0
 AMEN!! Smile
  • 2 0
 It's so good to see that you're still able to ride Andy! I developed ME last year, and for the last 6 months I've basically lost my ability to ride bikes without making myself much sicker. It's a really hard thing when you've built so much of your life, identity, and coping mechanisms around riding. I totally get how great it must feel to still be able to ride. I must admit, I feel a bit weird about that story being kind of used to advertise ebikes here. Especially as financial impact of chronic illness means the cost of ebikes is put way out of reach for many spoonies.
  • 2 0
 Hey, I really appreciate this and hope you find the balance you need to get back on the bike. And I 100% get that 'weird' feeling you describe but I flip it and look at things differently: I'm not naive enough to think that my content doesn't have a commercial component at some level, but I can 100% say with integrity that nobody involved in supporting my storytelling exerts influence on the stories I tell, or the way I tell them, and without the support I receive to tell these kinds of stories, they'd probably never actually see the light of day. Forming good working relationships - especially around sensitive or personal stories - and building trust and finding the common ground goes a long way to ensure a commercial relationship can be a force for good.
  • 1 0
 @StokedOnMS: Thanks for the thoughtful reply Andy. Yeah, I think on reflection I'm probably just pretty raw around this whole topic, so my feelings are as much/more about my own situation than they are about the video and story itself. I definitely appreciate seeing this sort of content out there!
  • 1 0
 i was researching about autoimmune diseases(Multiple Sclerosis to be specific) and current health tech to help curb/manage it and i found this website ww w. naturalherbscentre. com It made a tremendous difference for me I had improved walking balance, muscle strength and improved vision, always thankful for nature that helps in managing these terrible diseases. I’m active now, I can personally vouch for these remedy but you would probably need to decide what works best for you.
  • 2 0
 So good to watch this. To be reminded of how fortunate some of us are. And how resilient some amazing humans are through tough times that would break most of us. Andy, you're an inspiration.
  • 1 0
 Too kind, but thank you!
  • 1 0
 After 20 years of MS treated from 2000 to 2006 with Rebif(efficient to that year) and then Avonex(not efficient to calm down my lesions’ number increase) i found this website Natural herbs Centre . just 3 months ago, and their current natural health tech to help curb/manage it. Decided to give it a try and it has made a tremendous difference for me I had improved walking balance, muscle strength and improved vision, always thankful for nature that helps in managing these terrible diseases. Thank you for giving those of us with Multiple sclerosis a new hope. Google naturalherbscentre. com
  • 3 0
 So much love for this and for Andy! Such a good dude and I can’t wait to finally go for that ride together
  • 1 0
 Aw Steve, thank you! And we will nail down that ride one of these days!
  • 4 1
 Great story, so nice to see this side of e-MTB's and what they can do for not just people like Andy, but for everyone!
  • 1 0
 Cheers, glad you enjoyed it!
  • 2 0
 You're an inspiration Andy. So many good times in the highlands together, memories I'll have my whole life.
  • 1 0
 And so many more to come I hope, thanks Joe!
  • 2 0
 big respect!!!
  • 1 0
 Thank you Smile
  • 2 0
 Nice work Andy!
  • 1 0
 Thanks Mike!
  • 1 0
 Nice one Andy, not bad for a Milngavie boy!
  • 1 0
 Cheers Alan!







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