Running Against the Odds: Marion Jones' Journey with NMO

About this episode

Marion Jones shares her inspiring journey of overcoming a rare autoimmune disease and becoming a marathon runner and advocate.

What does it take to rebuild your life after a rare autoimmune disease leaves you partially paralyzed during a global shutdown? Today’s guest, Marion Jones, shows us what invisible strength really looks like.Diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) during the COVID-19 pandemic, Marion faced misdiagnosis, isolation, nerve damage, and the grief of losing the life she once knew. But her story doesn’t end there.Marion went from 30 seconds of walking to running 7 world-major marathons—New York, Chicago, London, Berlin, and soon Tokyo and Boston—raising awareness for rare diseases every mile of the way. 🏃🏾‍♀️✨She is now a powerful advocate, speaker, and upcoming author sharing her mission to inspire resilience, visibility, and hope for the chronic illness community.If you need a reminder that small steps can lead to unbelievable transformation, this episode is it. 💙⭐ IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:✔️What it’s really like to be diagnosed with NMO during the pandemic✔️How Marion rebuilt strength after partial paralysis✔️Why she shifted from grief to gratitude✔️The mindset that carried her through 7 marathons in 2 years✔️How to balance chronic illness with career, ambition, and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Karin Wagner, Chris Burton

Guest: Marion Jones

Topics covered

• resilience
• chronic illness
• advocacy
• autoimmune disease
• marathon running
• transformation

Keywords

• NMO
• neuromyelitis optica
• autoimmune disease
• marathon
• resilience
• advocacy
• chronic illness
• transformation

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: neuromyelitis optica

Places: New York, Chicago, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Boston

More episodes of Invisible Strength

• Chasing Goals, Not Ghosts: Mireille Siné on Running 200 Miles with Lupus · June 10, 2026 · 36 min
• From the Soccer Field to the Doctor's Office: Baylee Simmelink on Growing Up with Celiac Disease · June 3, 2026 · 23 min
• Can You Live a Full Life With Lupus? Emma's Honest Answer | Invisible Strength Podcast · May 27, 2026 · 39 min
• From Life Support to Lupus Warrior: How Semi Found Strength, Self-Advocacy & Hope | Invisible Strength Podcast · May 20, 2026 · 46 min
• Celiac Warrior & UT Austin Track Star: Logan Popelka’s Gluten-Free Journey to the Olympic Trials · May 13, 2026 · 35 min
• From Devastated Freshman Athlete to Thriving Lupus Warrior | Invisible Strength Podcast · May 6, 2026 · 42 min