PLEASE CLICK BELOW

To find out more www.runnersforafrica.com

By signing the pledge, you will be joining a global Parkinson's movement for change. The pledge will be the lasting legacy of the World Parkinson Congress 2010 in Glasgow. It will be used by the global Parkinson's community to highlight the urgency of better care for people with Parkinson's and will be presented to the World Health Organisation and other leading government bodies to help showcase the urgent need to invest in better care options for people living with chronic degenerative disease such as Parkinson's.

The goal is to get one million people to sign this pledge and join the global movement by the next World Parkinson Congress in October 2013 in Montreal, Canada.

TO SIGN THE PLEDGE PLEASE CLICK HERE - once the page is loaded please click on the top left corner under 'sign the global parkinson's pledge'.  you can also track the progress of this pledge

When we met for the day's ride, his sporadic tremors and lack of control over his extremities made even getting his sunglasses on challenging--he unintentionally threw them across the sidewalk. This was a brief glimpse into the day-to-day life of my friend James. To see him walking down the street you'd take a second glance, feel sorry for him, and think to yourself, "Gosh, it would suck to have Parkinson's disease." To see him cycling, you'd not look twice because he's just another roadie--a strong one, too. Almost 40, James has a long and formidable journey ahead, but he doesn't want your pity. He just wants to ride.

On an open stretch of road James wanted to hammer it; I was game. Our average speed was creeping up to 40 kilometers per hour and we were holding steady. My heart was starting to beat faster and my mind was focused on the push. I forgot that at my half-wheel was a man who has difficulty walking. With his cycling shoes clipped in to his pedals and his hands comfortably resting on the hoods, he was as composed and fluid as the best riders I know. He'll probably never forget he has Parkinson's disease, but there's no disputing he can escape it while riding his bike.

James made me realize that my love of cycling is shallow. There is no end; to pedal my bike is a means to not much more than enjoyment, fitness, and time spent with good people. To James, cycling is all those things and so much more. It's therapy, relief and a critical part of his treatment. These combine to underwrite a profound respect for the sport. I have a passion for cycling, but what cycling does for me is insignificant compared to what it does for James. We can't go through life feeling sorry for people who don't feel sorry for themselves. I don't get the impression James feels short-changed with his one shot here on earth; in part that is why he's an inspiration. He's aware of his boundaries, but within those boundaries he plays hard.

I am a roadie because I wear tights and ride a lot. James is a roadie because he wears tights and rides a lot. The difference between us is he'll always have more heart in the game, which makes him more of a roadie than I'll ever be.

By Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson, Vancouver Courier - Jeffrey@theroadiescholar.com

In the meantime, here's a re-post of a video we posted a few years ago to help you get inspired.

To view article CLICK HERE

So after my last run at the grade 6 or 7 Terry Fox run, I figured what better way to spend the last 2 weeks then crunch training for the annual UBC Duathlon (5km run, 20km bike, 5km run).  Volker, a JUST GIVER team member and an accomplished Ironman athlete asked Squirrel and me (Kelly) to join in the fun as he trains for this years' Penticton Ironman. Being a fast cyclist or a fast runner is one thing, but combining the two and then throwing in swimming is a whole other world.  So with four training runs in the past two weeks, today was the day!  Squirrel got hit with a cold so Volker and I went for it.  Volker crushed it and finished 2nd in his age group, and a very impressive 4th overall with an incredible time of 1 hour 16min.  Having never ran more then 5k in the last 2 weeks of training, the first 5k run and the 20k bike went well, but the last 5k was no man's land for me along with battling what felt like a 4 inch blister!  1 hour 37min later I made the podium finishing 3rd in my age group and 36th overall.  Overall a great day and congrats to Volker for the 4th place overall.  And once again huge respect to triathletes - I think i'll stick to the bike until next year's Duathlon!