Jo Penkin: One step at a time
Looking back, Jo Penkin recognises she was never one to shy away from a challenge, living a life some only read about. Diagnosed with MS in her early twenties, she was simply too busy to acknowledge her symptoms and instead turned her attention to something experienced by only 1% of the population - marathon running. Jo has incredibly completed 20 marathons across the globe, driven by a simple mindset – when things get tough, one step at a time and one foot in front of the other.
Working as a ship mate, then a skipper and a wind surfing instructor in Greece, in her early twenties, Jo was busy . For many years, her work led her across the UK and Europe, but life as a skipper is not for the faint-hearted. She remembers a time while working on the Ergamont, a ferry off England’s south coast, when her MS symptoms first began to bubble to the surface.
“This was like a hangover, although I hadn't drunk anything for days, and it was like somebody was yelling in my ear, but everyone was talking normally.”
“I felt myself gently bobbing up and down. Not an unusual sensation on a boat, but the Egremont was secured with heavy chains - you only felt a big boat going by. I turned to see what kind of boat it was but there was nothing there.”
Deep down, Jo sensed that something was off, but she brushed away the feeling - it’s hard to imagine anything seriously wrong when you’re only 20 years old. In fact, only after returning to England several years later, did she visit a doctor.
“I came back from Greece and my mum asked, ‘what’s wrong with your leg?’”
“You can't lie to your mum, can you?” Jo laughs. “So I said, ‘I’ll just go to the doctor - I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.’”
Jo was diagnosed with MS at 24 years old, but chose to set it aside, determined not to let a diagnosis stand in the way of everything she still wanted to achieve.
It was in 1989 that she met her now husband, Jack. At the time, Jack was an amateur marathon runner. In 1990, she watched him run the London Marathon and wondered from the sidelines if she herself, could one day cross the finish line of a marathon.
Initially, Jo set her sights on jogging just 100 yards. “Once I managed that without falling over,” she said, “I threw caution to the wind and declared then I’ll run the next London Marathon.”
"I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want anyone saying I couldn’t do it. People have stopped saying that now, they know me too well."
After weeks of training, she progressed from 100 yards to one mile, then two miles and then began running from suburb to suburb . Soon after, she was recording nine miles.
“It was a challenge, but my life has been a series of challenges,” she laughs. “I put my back into it and ensure that my scatter-brained idea is successful.”
What began as a personal challenge gradually turned into a passion that spanned decades . Over the years, Jo completed multiple marathons in cities near and far - sometimes dressed in costume, other times with Jack by her side.
Although she started running in her mid-20s, she didn’t notice her MS worsening until after she turned 49 . Now with two children and a slower-paced life in Perth alongside Jack, Jo could no longer ignore the symptoms she was experiencing. Despite maintaining a positive, go-getter attitude, it became increasingly difficult to stay optimistic.
“I have always been a bubbly person however, this was big, it felt like a catastrophe,” Jo states.
“I had fallen into a hole that I just couldn't climb out of.”
“It was MSWA that helped dig me out and set me back on track. I became mobile again, they took some of the housework off me, fed me, helped me get to medical appointments and shop because, what girl doesn't love shopping! I will always be extremely grateful to MSWA for helping me through those dark days.”
With that support, Jo began reclaiming her life - not just existing but enjoying it to the full.
“I got back on the treadmill and started walking, I walked the first 100 yards and then another. Then I thought, ‘well, maybe I could walk a marathon instead!"
That small step sparked something bigger - a return to what she loved, reshaped by a new perspective. If she couldn’t run a marathon she’d walk one. The finish line can look different for everyone, all that matters is you take one step at a time and put one foot in front of the other.
Jo then went on to complete several more marathons, including Uluru, and Rottnest – some of which she walked on the treadmill in her garage, following the routes on her phone.
Fittingly, her 20th - and final - marathon was the London Marathon, which she completed virtually, exactly 30 years after she first crossed its finish line in person.
“In 2021, the marathon was online but sadly they wouldn't accept my entry because I couldn't complete it within 24 hours!”
“Instead, Jack and I participated in our own version . We were then able to send the team a photo of us with our original medals on. They were delighted and texted us congratulations.”
Though Jo hasn’t run another marathon since, she is now an important part of the Parkrun community, joining every Sunday morning. Jo’s determination has led to a long line of amazing achievements that form the patchwork of her colourful life – filled with family, friends and incredible adventures across the globe. When things get tough, Jo really does prove all you can achieve when you take life back to basics and focus on putting one foot in front of the other.
