Back to back marathons, Lands End to John o’Groats, 100 mile cycles in a day. I’m not doing any of that! 

Many of you are amazing and do some fantastic challenges for causes you care about but I’m sure you appreciate my talents lie in running a meeting rather than running a 10k.

 So this journey, whilst modest compared to many, is a personal challenge for me 

I’m walking and cycling from Ilkley to Bowness over 5 days. Not having access to Wi-fi or Costa is already giving me anxiety and although some of you might cycle there and back in the blink of an eye, for me this will be an achievement. 

I’d like to raise some money for a cause close to my heart and one that affects the life of my family daily 

Parkinson’s 

Parkinson’s isn’t all about having the shakes. It’s a terrible disease that robs you slowly of everything that makes life wonderful. Eventually you lose  everything that makes life bearable. 

From stealing your ability to communicate (starting with your smile and eventually your speech), stealing your ability to walk, the indignity of double incontinence  and finally not being able to swallow. 

It’s an awful disease that I have witnessed at first hand as it steals away my Dad

My Dad - clever, funny, brilliant and always there for me. A bit strict sometimes but for all the right reasons. A leader and someone who always gave back to his community. From the RAF, to running the biggest dairy in Europe, from playing golf to playing with his grandchildren, from being a local councillor to pottering about in the garden. 

Parkinson’s May have robbed Dad of most things but it can’t take away the support of the most important thing to him, his family. 

Just to add injury to insult Lewy Body Dementia and the psychosis it invokes, caused by Parkinson’s  has made things tougher for us to cope with Dads care. 

And we’re not alone. 

People just like my Mum (78 and amazing) cope 24 hours a day every day. Caring for the person they love. It doesn’t just rob a person of their life. It steals away the lives of their loved one too 

Research needs funding to help beat this disease. To find at least a mitigation to the devastating effects of Parkinson’s and at best a cure

Sheffield look like they are doing some excellent work and funding is key 

Every little bit helps and I hope you can help me with this a little bit ! 

Thank you