A $20 fitness class may help find a cure for multiple sclerosis.

The Fitness for MS in the Fraser Valley fundraiser takes place Saturday, May 31 at the Inspire Fitness in Fort 91原创.

The fundraiser is a personal mission for the organizer. Sasha Anzulovich, a local 91原创 resident with the disease, is organizing this event with the support of the MS Friends of 91原创 support group and the MS Society of Canada.

"It is my mission to share the message of the importance of physical fitness in dealing with MS," says Anzulovich. "The symptoms of this illness can be as simple as some mild imbalance, or as severe as complete immobility. It affects everyone differently and can sometimes even be invisible but still debilitating."

"I have relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and have experienced both ends of this pendulum. I dove into bodybuilding immediately after my diagnosis. I have lived a relatively active life during the past 13 years, and I credit my successes in coping with this illness to my fitness activity. I can only imagine where I would be with this illness if I had not found bodybuilding. I taught myself about my MS and fitness when I chose to move forward and I would like to help others with that as well."

Canada has the highest MS rates in the world, affecting 90,000 people, and 12 individuals are diagnosed with the disease each day.

She has lived with MS since 2008 and was diagnosed at 21 years old in 2012.

"The first symptom I had at 16/17 years old was my ankles; my ankles would go completely numb and I couldn鈥檛 move my feet," she said. "This would come and go, especially if I was walking for long periods of time, and lasted for several years. There is relapsing and remitting multiple sclerosis, secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, and primary progressive multiple sclerosis. This disease can come about at any age and can affect both men and women."

With multiple sclerosis lesions attack the myelin sheath, which is a fatty substance surrounding the axon. An axon picks up the electrical impulse sent through the spinal cord to move, blink, taste, speak, bathroom, everything. Loss the myelin sheath greatly inhibits electrical impulses from being sent fully or even at all.

There are treatments but no cure and no way to predict who will get MS. Fitness helps manage the symptoms and stress. Physical fitness can improve many symptoms of this illness: fatigue, depression, motility, mobility, and countless others, she explained.

The venue for the fundraiser is Inspire Women's Fitness, 9181 Church St. in Fort 91原创. The doors open at 1:30 p.m., with a circuit class 2 to 2:45 p.m., and then a yoga class from 3 to 4 p.m. All skill levels are welcome. The cost is a $20 minimum donation to participate on one of the classes.

To register call Anzulovich at 778-891-6074, or s.anzulovich@hotmail.ca with name, phone number, email and which class wanted. A person can attend one of the classes. E-transfer is required when registering.

Updates on the event will be posted to the Facebook group, Fitness for MS fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/share/1FMR4K99GN/.

Anzulovich also has a GoFundMe to bring in donations for the campaign.