Two years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, an incurable, degenerative neurological condition that causes problems with balance, co-ordination, fatigue, stiffness, slow movements and pain amongst many other symptoms.

Being a very active person, I was pleased to discover that one of the most effective ways to keep the symptoms at bay is to take regular exercise. I quickly devised a 'Treatment Plan' which included cycling, parkruns, yoga, gym circuits and dance, based on the clear objective to 'Keep moving to keep moving.'

As word got around about my condition, I was introduced by a friend of a friend to a wonderful lady called Alison Anderson, who has organised a number of cycling challenges to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson's research, including last year's ride from Brighton to the World Parkinson's congress in Barcelona.

Alison is an inspiring lady, and it didn't take her long to persuade me to join her latest challenge for Cure Parkinson's.

I am part of a team of 22 cyclists taking on a challenge which will see us cycling in Norway from Bodo, the Northernmost city in the world, to Tromso, the Capital of the Arctic where the sun never sets in the summer. We will cycle across dramatic Arctic landscapes for 635km over eight days from 3rd - 11th August 2024.

Particularly significant is that 14 of our team are living with Parkinson's. Research shows that exercise can slow down the progression of Parkinson's and this challenge requires months of regular exercise to get each of us fit enough to cycle this amazing landscape.

The challenge is being organised by our Norwegian friends who set up ZWAP (Zwifters Against Parkinson's) Cycling Club using the online platform Zwift. With the team members coming from Norway, the UK and Canada, we are supporting a number of different Parkinson's charities. I have chosen to raise funds for Cure Parkinson's, as I beleve that their focus on finding a cure will make best use of any funds raised. I would really appreciate your support for this challenge.