Putting one foot in front of the other is a simple task Andrew Silverman once took for granted.
At just 27 years old Silverman learned he had multiple sclerosis - a disease that attacks the central nervous system.
"You have a vision of how you might react and think of the worst-case scenario of what you think might happen - but I was just numb," Silverman said.
The Staten Island native – a pediatric oncologist - first noticed symptoms while training for his first half-marathon.
He experienced blurry vision, numbness in his toes, and was unsteady on his feet.
"I realized it was really hard to train and by hard to train, I mean, I was super fatigued. I just couldn't bring myself to do it," Silverman said.
Devastated by the diagnosis - and weak from a flare-up - Silverman was never able to cross that finish line.
"That half-marathon - the Brooklyn Half - was actually the day after I was discharged. So I walked around my block using a walker, which was less than ideal," Silverman recalled.
Now, four years later, Silverman is feeling stronger than ever. He just completed his sixth half-marathon - Sunday's New York Road Runners United Airlines NYC Half and has his sights set on running a full marathon next.
And while the sport can be difficult at times because of MS, Silverman says the benefits outweigh any struggles.
"Being able to go out for a run, being in nature, being at peace, it sort of calms you, and soothes you. That's my relationship with now with exercise, it's a form of meditation. And that's why, I think, running calls to me," Silverman said.
Silverman hopes his story will serve as an example to others facing similar health challenges.
"I know what it's like to go through something life-altering, that changes your world. But you move along and you just readjust how you vision your life, and for me, personally, I've ended up being just fine," Silverman said.
So, for making big strides despite his diagnosis and inspiring others along the way, Andrew Silverman is our New Yorker of the Week.