Though Eileen Friedman has multiple sclerosis, she hasn't let her illness slow her down.
Since her diagnosis, the mother of two has run in three New York City marathons, works for various charities and is now a finalist for a national contest rewarding a woman over 40 who embodies good health - on the inside and out. Friedman, 46, is one of five finalists for a national ABC News contest, sponsored by ABC and Prevention magazine, called "Are you the Picture of Health?"
She is a 1981 graduate of SFCC and attended UF briefly, later transferring to American University for her bachelor's degree. Friedman's daughter, Rachel, is a UF junor, and her husband, Ron, graduated from UF in 1983.
She was diagnosed with MS in 2000, but she hasn't let it affect her well-being: She only buys groceries from Whole Foods Market, and, typical of most marathon runners, she exercises regularly. Talking to Friedman, you can almost hear her smile, even as she talks about her illness.
"[Multiple sclerosis] is unpredictable, so what can I control?" she said. "Every healthy choice I make and everything I put in my body."
Friedman's charity work also speaks for her character. In 2007, she and her running partner decided to make MS stand for "Mean Something." The pair raised $24,000 in donations for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society by running in the New York City Marathon. If Friedman wins, she will be featured in Prevention's September issue and will receive a $5,000 prize and another $5,000 to make a donation to the charity of her choice.
Friedman said she would like to donate all $10,000 to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
