Thank you for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page. One March evening in 2020 during lockdown, I got chatting to a neighbour of mine, John Stone, and he began telling me about a trek he was planning to Everest Base Camp that October. I was immediately hooked on the idea and when John invited me along, I jumped at the opportunity.

Due to coronavirus, the trip was pushed back 3 times. Now the trek is back on and we depart for Nepal on 29th April 2022. I was fully committed to the trek from the moment John mentioned it to me, however in September 2020 my plan to trek to Everest took a blow. I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. It was a sizeable set back for sure but the pandemic gave me time to take in and process this shocking news.

I continued with my training and spent many hours of many days over lockdown walking the Thames path and bridges. By Christmas of 2021 I was very much aware that Parkinson's was present in my body. It's a disease that affects the neurological system, resulting in your general movement being affected. Walking and typical day to day exercises that people often take for granted are impacted.

Support and encouragement from my family, friends and from the medical people I have come into contact with has helped me enormously. So, I have decided to go ahead with the trek and my aim now is to raise money to help find a cure for Parkinson's. At the moment I am involved in a clinical trail for a new drug to help slow down the progression of the disease.

For preparation, I have been researching previous expeditions to Everest which has been helpful and fascinating. Some stories have made me nervous about what is to come, but I must remind myself that I am going to base camp, not the summit! Base Camp is approximately 18,000 feet above sea level, whereas the summit is just over 29,000 feet high. Acclimatizing to the high altitude is the biggest challenge, so the pace at which we assent and assuring that we are drinking a minimum of 4 litres of water a day are vital. 

Some of you will recall that when I initially embarked on completing the trek in early 2020, my intention was to raise money for blind charities. This was a result of my dad passing away 3 years previous and tragically losing his sight at the age of 89. Since then my mum, Mary, and my mother-in- law, Barbara, have also passed away. I know all three of them would want me to focus my fundraising efforts on Parkinson's research. They will be in my thoughts as I reach Everest Base Camp.

Thank you,

Rory