MEET DANNI AND SCOTT LARDNER
Scott was a police officer for 30 years before having to retire early due to multiple sclerosis. He was only in his early 40’s when him and his wife, Danni, started noticing symptoms that would later be attributed to primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).
It started with a pain in his hip, followed by foot drop on his right-side. This left Scott with balance issues and bouts of vertigo and confusion.
At first, doctors speculated that Scott may have had a stroke due to his one-sided impairment. Without a proper diagnosis, Scott continued to experience major fatigue, depression, and nerve pain in the spine and neck.
After many tests and an MRI, doctors found 1 lesion at the top of Scott’s vertebrae in his neck, then Scott was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
Danni notes how Scott regularly gets comments about “looking well” when, on the inside, he is feeling the opposite.
“MS is a real silent condition, but not for those you live with.”
Determined to find ways to support her husband, and help researchers find a cure for MS, Danni found this brand-new fundraising event in 2019 – The May 50K.
“It's so hard to see your loved one struggle and not live the life they want. I did lots of research, trying to find ways to help, and came across The May 50K.”
While Scott is Danni’s inspiration and motivation for taking on the challenge, due to Scott's mobility he has previously been unable to participate. However, thanks to a new portable power assisted wheelchair, Scott is hoping to log some kms towards Danni’s goal.
Danni’s passion and commitment to The May 50K is clearly contagious because she is no longer taking on the challenge by herself, team Lardee Da has rallied around Scott and Danni for the past 5 years.
Team Lardee Da is made up of Scott and Danni’s family and friends across Australia. Once everyone in the team is confirmed, Danni creates a team group chat for everyone to post in and motivate each other!
“Our aim is to support Scott when he's not feeling amazing. We want to find a cure and every year our team grows!”
As team captain, Danni is the motivational force behind team Lardee Da, she makes everyone feel empowered and keeps them on track with daily team social media posts. This is especially needed during the cold spikes in Victoria.
2026 will be Danni’s 8th year taking part! Such an incredible achievement! Danni and Scott are fundraising superstars, with Danni and Team Lardee Da having raised over $94,000 so far for MS research.
Scott says:
“this is Danni's team, I'm just the reason she started this fundraiser, she's my biggest supporter and I'm her biggest fan, she's amazing every year! In 2025 she completed 400km, which is just over 13km every day for the whole month! She works full time and we have two teenage girls so it's no easy feat. We're hoping for another great year of raising awareness and funds for MS research, working towards real progress in finding a cure for MS.”
“We are grateful to people giving us their time, support and most of all cash! Team Lardee Da has no business support or donations it's made up of support from the people we love and cherish. I always say, let's help find a cure together!”
Supporting The May 50K means giving people like Scott and Danni not only hope, but confidence. Confidence that there will be a future where MS no longer has an impact on people's lives like it does today.
