I was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease in 2014 at the age of 48. I have been a skier and cyclist for most of my life. I love the speed, the community and the athleticism of these silent sports. 

And then I lost them both to Parkinson’s Disease.

Skiing was the first to go.  I could not initiate turns equally on both sides, and it felt like I suddenly lost the ability to turn left. It became dangerous and I had to stop.

Next, I lost cycling. My legs fell out of sequence when I pedaled –  stubbornly churning at different rates and fighting each other. Cycling became a chore – an exercise in frustration – and I had to stop this too.

But I was not ready to give up on these two loves.

Medication calmed my misfirings and training helped to restore balance and strength. With preparation I can now cycle again. I go as fast as I can, play in the wind, conquer hills, race with no finish line. The joy is back.  I train intentionally, with the goal of improvement, and my skills today are the best that they have ever been.  In 2019 I co-founded a Parkinson’s cycling group called the Rigid Riders to motivate people with Parkinson’s to take charge of their symptom management through intense exercise. In 2022 I took this up a notch and  collected with some friends to create the Spinning Wheels Tour to ride bicycles across Canada (almost 8,000 km/5,000 mi.)

I can also ski again. And even though I am a little more cautious now, I consciously savour and appreciate each turn.

Especially to the left.