From a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis to training for the London Marathon: Ellana’s story 

23-year-old Ellana is an actor who lives with rheumatoid arthritis. This year, Ellana ran the London Marathon for Versus Arthritis. She tells us how she tailored her training programme to her condition and what it meant to cross the finish line.

Ellana’s arthritis diagnosis as a young person 

"I started getting symptoms towards the end of my first year at drama school.

I’m a violinist and my fingers weren’t working as quickly as they should. I thought maybe I’d strained a ligament from too much practice. At the time I was hoping to enter the London Marathon, so I thought my feet were sore from running. I didn’t put two and two together.  

It got to the point where I couldn’t walk. My hand pain was so severe I couldn’t bend my fingers. I didn’t know what was wrong with me.  

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in November 2019. It was quite blunt. They said, 'you’re going to need treatment for life and it’s not going to go away. You need to stop doing any exercise or weight-bearing activities, and you can’t play your instrument'. 

I was very emotional. I was 19, I was by myself, and it all seemed very bleak.” 

Ellana’s treatment for rheumatoid arthritis 

“I started methotrexate but it made me very unwell. I got really sick with bad liver problems. I lost a massive amount of weight, and I had huge ulcers in my throat so I couldn’t eat or swallow. This was the thing that was meant to make me better, but I felt so much worse. 

I then had a month without any meds and started sulfasalazine. It was a pain; I had to keep working up to the max dose and then coming off it again because my bloods were too high.” 

Towards the end of my third year the sulfasalazine wasn’t enough, so I started doing adalimumab injections which massively helped. I did that for a year and decided that I was well enough to enter the London Marathon, which was a huge, huge achievement."

Signing up for the marathon and finding community 

"This condition is so up and down, so when I feel good, I want to do the things I want to do while I can. The diagnosis reinforced that you never know what will happen, so you’ve got to take the opportunity while it’s there.  

When I was out running, seeing other people in the t-shirts on route made me realise there is a community out there. When I was diagnosed, no one said anything about the support groups, or about Versus Arthritis. I felt like the only young person in the world to have this disease.  

It would’ve been so good to know the support was there. You run the London Marathon and see for yourself there are all these people affected by arthritis and who know what it is.” 

How Ellana adapted her marathon training  

“I’ve always been very active and loved running. Everyone said, 'don’t do it Ellana. It’s not a good idea.' But I was determined to push myself and make something good out of a bad situation, so my family agreed to help.  

My mum offered a lot of advice from a physio perspective. I tailored my training, so I’d do sessions on the cross trainer which was low impact on my joints. I’d go on the bike too.

My mum’s method for me was that I was to run nine minutes and walk one minute and repeat that on long runs. I did that on race day so my joints weren’t wrecked. It’s a very popular technique for people to do if they’ve had injuries. That’s what got me round.  

Running with arthritis involves finding the balance and it’s taken me a long time to work it out. When doctors told me not to run it was devastating.

Sometimes running makes me feel better, but if I’m tired and I go for a run it puts me back. There’s a fine line. If I didn’t have the energy to go for a run when I was training, I’d go for a walk instead. It was just as valuable.” 

From training to finish line: Ellana’s marathon experience 

"I think I crossed the finish line and went, “that was crazy! I can’t believe I’ve done it!” I was exhausted. There was a sense of disbelief. It didn’t feel real.

It was incredible, especially seeing my grandma at the last mile. I came round the corner and there was the big Versus Arthritis stand and it was absolutely epic. It feels like you’re in a massive arena and you’re Beyonce or something. I was grinning the whole way round.   

Looking at the initial shock of having rheumatoid arthritis and how much pain I was in, it felt like I would never get better. But I held on, and it has improved, and it continues to improve. I’ve pushed myself in ways I wouldn’t otherwise.” 

Fundraising for Versus Arthritis  

If you’re interested in getting involved and fundraising for us, contact the fundraising team at fundraising@versusarthritis.org.  

Want to get more movement in your life?

It can be hard to keep moving when you have arthritis, but staying as active as possible can reduce your pain and the symptoms of your condition, and help you to stay independent.

Remember you don't have to run a marathon. There are lots of different ways you can get active.

Whether you prefer a gentle walk in the park or a swim in your local pool, it's all about finding what works for you. 

If you don't know where to start, why not check out Let's Move with Leon, our free exercise programme specially designed for people with arthritis, or these simple exercises for healthy joints?