Marie Meillaud and Sirik Deurloo’s journey with MS is both personal and inspiring
Abu Dhabi is gearing up to welcome the Open Masters Games 2026 (OMGAD 2026), a global sporting and community event celebrating inclusion, wellness, and resilience.
Among the standout participants is the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s (NMSS) ‘Masters of Strength’ team, a group of athletes and advocates living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who will compete across swimming, cycling, and running disciplines.
Their participation demonstrates not only the transformative power of sport but also raises awareness about the realities of living with MS.
At the heart of the team are Marie Meillaud and her husband Sirik Deurloo, whose journey with MS is both personal and inspiring.
Born in France and based in Abu Dhabi since 2010, Marie was diagnosed with MS in 2013, just weeks after starting a demanding new job.
The diagnosis brought uncertainty at a time when community support networks in the UAE were still emerging.
Over the years, with guidance from her neurologist and the support of NMSS, Marie rebuilt her confidence, embraced a balanced lifestyle, and found purpose in advocacy.
After experiencing her first relapse in over a decade in early 2025, she shifted her focus to holistic wellbeing, incorporating swimming, movement, and mindfulness into her daily routine.
Since then, she has been training several mornings a week, preparing to compete in freestyle swimming at OMGAD 2026.
“When I started swimming, it wasn’t about performance; it was about proving to myself that I could keep moving forward. MS reminds me to keep showing up, especially for myself,” Marie shares.
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Sirik, Head of Subcontracts by profession, has taken on the deeply personal role of primary carer for his wife, transforming the couple’s family life and deepening his empathy.
Through sport, swimming, cycling, and rugby, he maintains balance and encourages open conversations about invisible conditions at work.
“Sport reminds us that community is built on support. When one team member falls short, the whole team feels it. Awareness works the same way; only when we move together can people living with MS truly feel seen and supported,” he explains.
For Marie and Sirik, the Masters of Strength team is a platform for visibility, inclusion, and advocacy.
The NMSS initiative, Move for MS, encourages the wider community to engage through movement to raise awareness and funds for MS programmes, and has already involved over 4,000 participants, raising more than AED 800,000.
At OMGAD 2026, visitors to Hudayriyat Island will have the opportunity to meet the team at an interactive NMSS booth, learn about MS, and connect with support services.
NMSS emphasises that improving the lives of people living with MS requires more than awareness; it requires participation, representation, and inclusion in everyday life.
Marie and Sirik’s story highlights the multidimensional reality of MS: its invisible challenges, the importance of community, and the power of movement, mindset, and perseverance.
Through their participation, they show that chronic conditions do not preclude high performance, leadership, or family life.
As Abu Dhabi hosts athletes from around the world, the Masters of Strength team reminds us that resilience is not just about individual effort; it is about community, visibility, and supporting one another, step by step, swim by swim, cycle by cycle.
The Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 is more than a sporting event; it is a platform for courage, empathy, and the shared human spirit.
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