What happens when you refuse to let a diagnosis define you? For Carolyn Cannistraro, living with multiple sclerosis for nearly three decades hasn’t meant slowing down—it’s meant discovering how to live fully in entirely new ways.
In this moving episode of Landmark Difference Makers, Carolyn shares her story of resilience, courage, and self-expression in the face of unpredictability. Diagnosed in her early twenties just before stepping onstage to perform Handel’s Messiah, she’s never let MS dictate the terms of her life. From redefining what femininity meant after giving up high heels, to navigating grief and growth over the years, Carolyn brings honesty, humor, and hard-won wisdom to every step of her journey.
Now, as a member of Achilles International, Carolyn competes in marathons using a hand cycle—an experience she never imagined, but one that has redefined her idea of community, contribution, and what’s possible. Her story isn’t about overcoming MS—it’s about partnering with it to create a life of purpose.
“I didn’t want to just survive,” she says. “I wanted to create something extraordinary.”
And she has.
Highlights from the Interview:
- 🎤 The surprising moment she received her diagnosis—and how she responded
- 🥿 Why a pair of high heels represented so much more than fashion
- 🧠 What most people misunderstand about MS, and what it’s really like to live with it
- 🧾 Her hilarious attempt to blend dating and diagnosis with a résumé and MS pamphlet
- 🚴♀️ How hand cycling in a marathon opened up a new world of connection, confidence, and joy
- 💡 Her powerful message about how able-bodied and disabled communities can create something greater together
- 💬 Why she sees her MS as “an uninvited house guest” that taught her to slow down and appreciate life in a whole new way
Whether you live with a chronic illness, love someone who does, or simply wonder what it means to keep creating in the face of life’s uncertainty, Carolyn’s story is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we say yes—to life, to challenge, and to ourselves.
“This isn’t a dress rehearsal,” she says. “Be bold. Go for it. Live the life you were born to live.”
🎧 Listen to the full episode and let Carolyn’s passion, humor, and insight remind you of the power of showing up exactly as you are.
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