It’s not often you hear of an avid runner who started running after being diagnosed with a painful and debilitating disease, but that’s the case with Jasper’s Stephanie Sophocleous.

She was 20 when a doctor told her she had arthritis, explaining why she was having pain in her feet and hands. At one point, the pain was so bad she could hardly even walk.

“It was a difficult time in my life,” the 28-year-old said, thinking back to 2005. “It was definitely hard on the mental side of things because you’re so used to being able to get up and go and do whatever you need to do and then all of a sudden you have to get other people to do things for you. That was really challenging for me.”

After a couple of years of testing different medications, Sophocleous’ pain started to subside, allowing her to do yoga and mountain climb like she used to. And it also allowed her to run, something she picked up after seeing a commercial for the Arthritis Society’s Joints in Motion campaign.

The campaign brings runners together to participate in marathons all over the world, in an effort to raise awareness about arthritis and to raise money for further arthritis research and programs. 

Through the society, Sophocleous has done two half-marathons and a 10-kilometre run. The first was in Barbados in 2009. The second in the Cayman Islands in 2010. And the most recent, she did in Honolulu with her mom.

Each experience has been a powerful one for Sophocleous, the manager of Tekarra Lodge and a yoga instructor for Jasper Open Yoga.

“It was absolutely amazing going through the finish line the first time in Barbados and completing that run, the first half marathon. I can’t even describe how I felt.”

At each run, it’s not just about the accomplishment of making it to the end that touches Sophocleous, it’s also the opportunity to meet the other runners, some who have arthritis themselves, some who have kids with arthritis and others who are running for a friend or family member.

“Hearing everybody’s stories and why they were there and why they raised the money, it’s just amazing.”

Sophocleous’ next run will be in Rome in 2013. It will be her first full marathon.

“I’ll be training over the next year. It’s going to take me that long, I think,” she said with a laugh.

And while she’s training she will also be fundraising. 

To participate in the marathon, she is required to raise $6,200. That money will go toward medical research, as well as awareness programs for people who have been diagnosed with arthritis. If Sophocleous can raise the money, the society will also pay for her travel expenses.

Thanks to the generosity of Jasperites, Sophocleous has reached her fundraising goal every year.

“This town is amazing and so willing to give,” she said. “It’s been great. They’ve made it possible.”

To get her to her goal this year, Sophocleous is planning two fundraising events for April, on top of her usual bottle drive, which she holds each year on July long weekend. The events are both fitness based. On April 21, Sophocleous will teach a yoga class called Yoga in Motion, while on April 28, she will host an aerobics class, called Step Up For Arthritis.

“I’m extremely excited to go to Rome, but also to fundraise and get the word out there about arthritis,” Sophocleous said, noting that arthritis is a disease that affects more than 4.5 million people in Canada, both young and old.

“A lot of people associate it with an old person’s disease, but it’s not. I know other people in Jasper who have it who are younger than me and it’s a challenge for them too.”

One of those people is 14-year-old Elena Kellis, the person Sophocleous will be running for in Rome.

Each participant in Joints In Motion is asked to name their arthritis hero who they will run for.

In the past, Sophocleous has run for her grandmother and her step-grandmother. But this year is dedicated to Kellis, who has juvenile arthritis.

Kellis is taking her role seriously and has committed to helping Sophocleous train. 

To sponsor Sophocleous and help further arthritis research, email steph_sophocleous@hotmail.com.