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Zeke Peters has always been a fighter, and now he’s found himself in a new arena.

Peters, a 2017 Austin High School grad, was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis right before he was set to run in the Twin Cities Marathon, and he’s now set his sights on running on behalf of the National MS society team as a charity runner at the 129th annual Boston Marathon on April 21.

Peters, who works for a private development and consulting firm in Minneapolis, was a week away from running in the Twin Cities marathon when he was officially diagnosed with MS in early October. A week after the race, he went back in for a spinal tap and confirmed the diagnosis.

Peters ran for the Packer cross country and track and field teams when he was in high school, but he had slipped away from running during the pandemic.

“A while back, I started having problems with balance, motion control and muscle strength. I was having trouble with getting up in the morning and walking, and I was told I should try running again,” Peters said. “I was pretty nervous about the (Twin Cities Marathon) and then I saw an older gentleman at the starting line who was running for his wife, who had passed away from MS. I went to say  ‘hi’ and he  told me good luck and he told me about his wife. He suggested I check out the National MS Society team and I applied to run for the charity team.”

MS is a chronic autoimmune disease that damages the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. There is no cure for MS, but treatments can help manage symptoms and slow the disease.

Peters has learned a lot about MS since his diagnosis and he’s raising funds to fight MS. To donate or learn more about Peters’ journey you can visit https://www.givengain.com/project/zeke-raising-funds-for-national-multiple-sclerosis-society-88403.

Peters has already had his struggles and he knows there will be some tough days ahead, but he’s driven to keep running as he has kept a positive attitude.

“Some days it’s really hard to get up and other days it’s really discouraging because one day I can run 10 miles with very little problems, and the next day I can barely get up the stairs without asking for help,” Peters said. “The big thing that the National MS society has helped me with is learning that a lot of people have misconceptions about it being a death sentence. It’s really an unknown and it affects everybody so differently. Some people have little to no symptoms and some people are in a wheel chair and lose the ability to walk within a couple of years. But it’s not like my life is over.”

Austin head cross country coach Tony Einertson has been following Peters’ story online and he’s rooting for the runner, who once fought through injuries to stay in the lineup for the Packers.

“The situation is not the greatest in the world, but it’s kind of the same attitude (Zeke) had in high school. He’s a fighting type of kid and he’s willing to take it on. He’s going to make the best of it, go out there and perform the best he can,” Einertson said. “He has a goal in mind that he wants to attack.”

Einertson said he often talks to his runners about the Boston Marathon and the importance of the event. He also teaches running as not just a competition, but a tool to help with life’s hurdles.

“Within our program, we want to get that lifelong runner,” Einertson said. “Whether it’s dealing with a life situation, being physical or mental, it’s all about busting through physical and mental barriers. Things are hard, but running is a way for you to get away from things for a little bit. (Zeke) is certainly inspirational for myself and the team as well.”

When Peters began to struggle with his health a couple of years ago, he feared that he may have ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) so he turned to his longtime neighbor Sarah Lysne, who is a good friend of Zeke’s mother. Lysne has ALS and she was able to keep Peters positive as he dealt with the anxiety of a new medical diagnosis.

“She’s definitely been an inspiration to me. She let me know that I should be out there sharing my story, motivating and bringing awareness,” Peters said of Lysne. “She definitely has a much harder time and a shorter window of opportunity than I do with my illness. There are a lot of emotions and changes and she never gave up when she got her diagnosis.”

Peters has also leaned on his wife, his family and close friends as he looks to stay motivated to run when his body is in pain. While at first he wasn’t sure he wanted to make his health public, Peters is gradually warming up to the idea of being an MS spokesman as he encourages anyone to contact him if they have questions or comments.

“At first, it didn’t help to have this public, but now it’s helped me deal with the emotions and the coping methods. When I first finished the race, it was like I ran my race, now I’m just going to move on. I don’t think I was actually processing it fully until I started sharing it with more people.”