Wodke fends off disease, skeptics in run to the Boston Marathon

Chris Wodke hides a debilitating neurological disease with a short, choppy stride, and an earnest dedication to inspire others with CMT by running the Boston Marathon.

The name Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is probably unfamiliar to most, but it is one of the most common neurological disorders passed through family genes. It affects 2.6 million people around the world; one in every 2,500 people in the U.S.

A slow degeneration of the nerves that carry signals from the brain to the extremities causes fatigue, weakness in foot and lower leg muscles and a prickly, or burning sensation in hands and feet.

For Wodke, 53, her diagnosis in August 2010 explained a lifetime of clumsiness, bad handwriting and fatigue.

An engineer and trainer at We Energies, Wodke considers herself fortunate by comparison to others with more severe manifestations.

"It's an annoyance," Wodke said. "There are people who have really bad cases and are in severe pain.

"It mostly affects me athletically. I'm not looking for anybody to have sympathy for me."

Chris Wodke trains in Humboldt Park, near her home in Bay View. Photo by Tom Held

Many won't. A few have accused her of being a scammer for gaining an entry in the prestigious Boston Marathon in the mobility impaired division, rather than by running a qualifying time.

The accusations are hurtful.

"Just because there isn't anything visibly wrong doesn't mean you don't have struggles," Wodke said.

Her training is somewhat limited, and challenging. She runs three days a week, combining an interval work out, a tempo run at near race pace and a long run, often about 20 miles.

To augment her running miles, she bikes, exercises in a pool, and on an elliptical trainer or NordicTrak.

Her goal for the Boston Marathon is four hours, 41 minutes.

Cheryl Monnat, an old college roommate, and the woman who first introduced Wodke to running, fully appreciates her friend's effort.

"Chris is doing all the same physical work as anybody else who is going to run that race, and in a sense, that's harder for her," Monnat said. "Boston is going to be harder for her than the elite runners.

"To me, it can only be an inspiration to other people."

That seems to be Wodke's primary purpose.

She founded Team CMT in 2011 and has gathered 75 people to run, bike and participate in triathlons to raise money for the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation. Fifteen members of the team have CMT.

The Boston Marathon on April 16 will be Wodke's 7^th run over the 26.2-mile distance, but by far the most significant.

"Being able to run is a huge gift," she said. "It's rare for somebody to be an athlete with this disease. I feel I should use this to raise awareness and to raise money.

"For people in this community who have this, they shouldn't tell somebody they have CMT and get a blank look."

Photo by Tom Held