When I attended the WPC for the first time in Kyoto in 2019, I had no idea of the huge impact it would have on my life. I sensed immediately when I arrived at the congress that it would provide not only an exceptional educational programme but an opportunity to connect with others from around the world, all living with the Parkinson’s. What I hadn’t appreciated until this time was how energising and inspiring these connections would prove to be.

Meeting Rune Vethe for the first time at the WPC in Kyoto in 2019, I was struck by his positivity and zest for life. We realised we had not only young onset Parkinson’s in common but we both had a love of boxing and cycling. It is this passion for cycling and a shared sense of adventure that finds us organising a team of 20 people (10 of whom are living with Parkinson’s) living as far apart as Norway, England, USA, Canada and Australia to come together and cycle the 1,600km from Brighton to Barcelona to attend the WPC in Barcelona in July 2023.

Together we will set off from Brighton on 16th June 2023 and cycle 100km each day for 16 days through France and Spain until we reach Barcelona. In the meantime, we have started our respective training programmes. These are tailored to not only each individual’s needs but the time of year and climate for each country. As Australia experiences their summertime, cycling outdoors should be extremely pleasant, while Norway, well into their winter finds temperatures plummeting and outdoor cycling an unlikely option until late March. We hope that months of hard training will equip us with the mental and physical stamina required to undertake such a challenge.

You can read about our preparations as we train hard to get fit enough to cycle these distances every day, many of us with the added challenge of living with Parkinson’s. You can meet the team, read about why each of us are doing this challenge and follow our story as we grow from 20 individuals, most of whom have never met, into a team, working together, supporting each other and undertaking an incredible challenge together. 

Alison Anderson (UK) is a WPC Parkinson Ambassador. Alison spent more than 30 years working in the nursing and healthcare management space. It was after being diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s in 2015 she took up cycling for pleasure, adventure, and to stay socially connected to others, which helps her overall well-being. Alison is leading the Bike to Barcelona team from the UK, and she is also moderating at the World Parkinson Congress in Barcelona. Follow Alison’s blog at: Ramblings of a Cyclopath and catch her on Twitter: @alisoncyclopath.
For more information about Bike to Barcelona check our page.

Ideas and opinions expressed in this post reflect that of the author(s) solely. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the World Parkinson Coalition®