{"id":145852,"date":"2025-09-02T11:05:46","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T15:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/?p=145852"},"modified":"2025-09-03T10:54:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T14:54:55","slug":"toronto-woman-overcomes-ms-to-train-for-her-first-marathon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/the-scene\/toronto-woman-overcomes-ms-to-train-for-her-first-marathon\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto woman overcomes MS to train for her first marathon"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Toronto\u2019s Tata Shifrin<\/strong> toes the line at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Oct. 19, she\u2019ll be running for far more than just a finisher’s medal. For the 42-year-old single mother, the race marks a major milestone in a decade-long fight after being told she might never run again.<\/p>\n

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Photo courtesy of Tata Shifrin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2014, just three months after giving birth to her youngest son, Shifrin began experiencing abnormal symptoms while driving between work meetings. \u201cMy feet were constantly numb,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

What she thought was a rough patch in postpartum recovery turned out to be something far more serious: multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive disease affecting the brain and spinal cord. <\/p>\n

She remembers the prognosis being grim. “The doctor told me I\u2019d need a cane or a wheelchair within five years,\u201d says Shifrin. \u201cI remember so many thoughts hitting me at once. But somehow, I\u2019ve managed to break all the odds.”<\/p>\n

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Photo courtesy of Tata Shifrin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This October, she\u2019ll fulfill a long-standing promise she made with her late grandmother: to run a marathon at 42. \u201cMy mom is keeping me accountable and is coming from Russia to cheer me on,\u201d Shifrin says.<\/p>\n

She\u2019ll be running as part of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon\u2019s women\u2019s training program<\/a>, which supports more than 2,400 female runners of all levels. The program is designed to make running more inclusive and accessible, offering women tools to train with confidence and purpose. “As a single parent, I needed structure,” says Shifrin. “This program allows me to map out my weeks and actually see the path to the start line.”<\/p>\n

Toronto Waterfront Marathon\u2019s bold initiative to get more women racing<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n