Celebrating Milestones and My Work with the World Acrobatics Society

Dagmar Munn receives a service award from John Deininger
and David Jacobs on behalf of the World Acrobatics Society

In 2019, the World Acrobatics Society held their annual WAS Congress and reunion, and I was invited to attend. As the event approached, I worried about what I would wear and how others would react to my mobility scooter. But what had me feeling most anxious was that I was one of the evening’s honorees!

The banquet was held in Las Vegas, and I was to be inducted into the World Acrobatics Society’s Hall of Fame alongside some famous Olympians, coaches, and a Hollywood stuntman. Mine was a service award, given in appreciation for helping the organization with promotional materials and creating its website.

I received a plaque, a commemorative medallion, a certificate, and a professional tribute video. And oh my! There’s nothing like having your entire life put to music and flashed onto a big screen to get your heart pumping.

Of course, I’ll let you see the video. But first, let me explain the significance of its final 95 seconds — the section that begins with the narrator saying, “Diagnosed with ALS in 2010...”

That’s when, in a blink of an eye, my life took a sharp turn. I was a wellness expert who suddenly found herself on the receiving end of all that expertise. Faced with the dismal prognosis of ALS, I cobbled together a simple formula for living.

First, I followed my doctor’s recommendations: attend the ALS Clinic, take my medications, be willing to use assistive devices, eat wholesome foods, sleep well, and keep my body moving through gentle exercise.

To build my resilience, I began practicing healthy coping strategies:

• I stopped asking, “Why me?” Instead, I looked for ways to accept and adapt to my changing ALS symptoms.
• I focused my attention away from the negative and toward the positive events of the day. I fell asleep thinking of three things to be grateful for.
• I tried to be open to new learning experiences and discovered ways to continue to be me.
• I avoided isolation by staying connected with my family, friends, clubs, and organizations — and all of my new ALS friends around the world.

So, those final 95 seconds of the video encompass the last nine years of my life with ALS. Those years sped by while, truthfully, I was having fun.

OK, here’s the video:

Does my future include more milestones? I hope so. And I hope yours does as well. Remember, I believe that we can live well while living with ALS.

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A version of this post first appeared as my column on the ALS News Today website.

Dagmar Munn
ALS Wellness Blogger

"Arriving at one goal

is the starting point to another."

John Dewey