Super-fit CEO Jenny thought numbness in her hands and feet was burnout before doctors diagnosed a serious neurological condition

Jenny Doan had built her identity around strength, discipline and physical endurance. 

The Melbourne-based athlete and CEO, 35, was training for her fourth Guinness World Record when her body began behaving in ways she could not explain. 

She worked full-time, pursued motivational speaking and spent her spare hours preparing for the record attempt: the most chin-ups completed while hula-hooping. 

Her previous achievements demanded extraordinary co-ordination and resilience; Jenny was accustomed to pushing through discomfort in pursuit of ambitious goals. 

Then, late in 2024, numbness appeared in her feet – the first sign of multiple sclerosis, an incurable neurological condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering around nerves in the brain and spinal cord. 

At first, it seemed minor and Jenny assumed it was the result of relentless work and training.

‘I never suspected anything serious,’ she told the Daily Mail.

‘I always thought it would be something benign, like not enough potassium or magnesium. I had never experienced chronic illness and no one in my family had either.’

The symptoms started in September or October as intermittent numbness that was easy to dismiss. Fatigue followed. She reduced her working week, hoping extra rest would help.

‘I tried a lot of things before going to the doctor,’ she said. 

‘I tried to sleep more, eased up at the gym and reduced my energy use. 

‘When none of that helped, I asked for blood tests – iron, hormones, vitamins – searching for answers. But everything came back fine. 

‘On paper, everything was normal, which was jarring, because I knew something was wrong.’ 

Other symptoms then emerged. 

‘At the gym, balancing on one leg I just seemed wobbly,’ she said.

‘I didn’t have a physical injury that could explain it, so I would just lean on a bar and assume it wasn’t an issue.’

The most concerning change appeared while training for her Guinness record: each time she lifted her arms for chin-ups, numbness spread into her hands, followed by sudden weakness. 

‘That was when my doctor suspected there might be something happening in my spine.’

Her GP had already ordered tests for autoimmune conditions, despite Jenny’s healthy appearance and normal blood results. 

Jenny remains grateful her doctor listened rather than dismissing her symptoms as stress. 

‘She was very cautious and asked a lot of questions,’ Jenny said.

‘She didn’t just see good blood test results and send me away. She went the extra mile.’

In January 2025, the GP told Jenny to go directly to the emergency department. Even then, she thought she’d be assessed and sent home. 

‘I didn’t think to bring anybody with me,’ she said.

‘I thought I would either get looked at and sent home, or that nothing serious was really happening.’

Instead, Jenny was admitted to the stroke and brain injury ward while doctors arranged an MRI. 

The experience was frightening and disorienting. She kept the situation from her family, not wanting to alarm them unnecessarily. 

‘I wanted to wait until I had an answer in case it was a false alarm. I was there on my own being admitted,’ she said.

The diagnosis came almost without warning. Jenny had the MRI, drove home, and 20 minutes later a neurologist from the emergency department phoned. 

‘He phoned me, but because he was calling from the emergency department, he wasn’t going to spend a long time talking,’ she said.

‘It was all very quick, and I didn’t even know what questions I wanted answered.’

The scan showed lesions consistent with multiple sclerosis. 

Jenny was stunned. She had come across MS while searching for her symptoms online but dismissed the possibility, thinking numbness alone was not serious enough. 

‘I thought it had to be a coincidence. There was a lot of denial, because I was so used to being very physically active, and suddenly I was slowing down for reasons I couldn’t understand.’

The diagnosis forced Jenny to confront a future she had never considered. 

‘It was pure shock,’ she said.

‘It was incurable and lifelong, and I was wondering what my future looked like.’

The emotional weight only settled later, when a friend called. Jenny said the diagnosis aloud and began to understand how profoundly her life had changed. 

‘That was when I broke the news to her and started to realise the gravity of the situation,’ she said.

Treatment began quickly. Jenny had five days of high-dose intravenous steroids to suppress the immune response and reduce inflammation. 

The first infusion was in hospital; nurses administered the next four at home through a ‘Hospital in the Home’ program. 

Jenny described steroids as an initial ‘Band-Aid solution’ to bring the attack under control. 

The medication caused side effects but many acute neurological symptoms eased. 

About two months later, she began long-term treatment with Ocrevus, an intravenous therapy administered every six months. It targets B cells believed to play a role in the immune system’s attack on myelin, the protective coating around nerves. 

Each infusion takes about six hours in hospital. 

Follow-up imaging three months later showed no new lesions and no growth in existing ones, suggesting the treatment was controlling the disease. 

Stable scans brought reassurance, but treatment could not restore Jenny’s former life and fatigue is the most significant and disruptive symptom.

‘Before, I was able to work full-time and break Guinness World Records in my spare time,’ she said.

‘I simply can’t do that anymore.’

The exhaustion associated with MS is different. A full night’s sleep, nutritious food and exercise do not guarantee enough energy to function as planned. 

Unpredictability has required Jenny to completely restructure her daily life. 

She now builds rest into her schedule and approaches tasks strategically. She drives to the gym, batch cooks meals, and freezes food for difficult days. 

Activities once automatic now require calculation. 

‘I take a lot more rest breaks, and I’m constantly finding ways to save energy,’ she said.

Her professional life has changed. A conventional nine-to-five schedule is now difficult; Jenny moved into a flexible role as CEO of Shhit Happens, a toilet paper company supporting the disability community. 

The position allows her to work around her health rather than fixed hours. 

She continues motivational speaking but pursues one opportunity at a time. 

‘Pivoting into business has given me much more flexibility,’ she said.

Slowing down has been especially confronting. 

Jenny had always linked progress with doing more, training harder, and aiming higher. Now, maintaining her health means stopping before she reaches her limit. 

Working with a psychologist specialising in chronic health conditions has helped Jenny distinguish what she can control from what she must accept. 

The process has involved grieving her former capacity while refusing to see adaptation as a failure. 

‘It can feel like everything is moving more slowly,’ she said. ‘At the same time, it has been useful to become more intentional about things.’

Peer support from others with multiple sclerosis has been equally important. 

Jenny found friends and family could care deeply without fully understanding the uncertainty, physical changes and emotional adjustment involved. 

‘Being around people who understand, who can listen without judging, was a really big part of processing what was happening.’

Jenny knows her fast diagnosis was unusual. 

Many people with MS spend months or years seeking answers, particularly when early symptoms are vague and standard tests return normal results. 

Her experience has made her passionate about encouraging others to keep pursuing medical advice. 

‘I was fortunate to have a very attentive doctor who listened and asked questions,’ she said.

‘Anyone struggling to get answers should consider finding a second or third opinion and look for someone who will follow through and get to the bottom of the symptoms.’

She also advocates for continued access to affordable MS treatments through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). 

Without PBS funding, Ocrevus can cost about $33,000 a year, while Kesimpta can cost around $27,000. 

Jenny’s treatment is completely subsidised but she worries about the consequences if these medications become less accessible. 

‘These treatments are designed to reduce the chances of relapses,’ she said.

‘During a relapse, existing symptoms can worsen or completely new symptoms can appear.’

Because MS can affect the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, the possible effects are extensive and unpredictable. 

Affordable preventative treatment gives patients a better chance of preserving mobility, independence and quality of life. 

‘We already face uncertainty every day with our health. Removing treatment from the PBS would create even more uncertainty,’ Jenny said.

She understands governments face difficult budget decisions but believes cutting access to preventative medication could create greater long-term costs if more people experience disabling relapses and require extensive support. 

Before her diagnosis, Jenny used her body to break records and demonstrate what persistence could achieve. 

Strength meant completing another repetition, pushing through discomfort and refusing to slow down. 

Multiple sclerosis has changed that definition. 

Strength now means resting before exhaustion, asking for help and allowing a team to carry responsibilities she once handled alone. 

It also means accepting the future may not look as she imagined, while still finding purpose within it. 

‘I’ve had to learn to accept and adapt,’ she said.

‘I’m finding other ways to create meaning in my life.’