Isle of Wight - Ultra Challenge in aid of Sport Parkinson's

If you were to conjure up the image of an Ultra Marathon running athlete………Peter Roberts, Ollie Shipman and Greg Shaw may not hit that mark!! Nonetheless over the weekend of the 3rd-4th May the three of them will be completing the 106km circular route around the Isle of Wight.

Starting and finishing in Chale the trio will cover the coastal paths around the Island in a target time of 20 hours. As opposed to running it in a competitive time, they will attempt to shuffle, trudge and crawl their way over the gruelling route!

The brainchild of Peter brought about by the dread of turning 40 in February (he had a very tough paper round!). With a bit of persuasion Peter’s Brother-in-Law Ollie was soon on board followed by a recent call up of Greg (also turning 40 this year. He had the only hilly paper round in East Anglia!). Whilst the ever sliding sands of time was the spark, the opportunity to raise funds for Sport Parkinsons has been the flame.

Sport Parkinson's supports people to “keep healthy and strong until the cure comes along”. It has been clinically proven that exercise can slow down the progression of Parkinson’s and help battlers manage symptoms. They organise unique sporting events, provide grants, raise awareness of the condition and offer community support to improve the lives of people living with the disease.

With Peter’s involvement in Sport Parkinson’s through golf he has seen first hand as to the impact it can have. “Whilst the engagement in sport is of paramount importance to the individuals, it is the sense of community that is overwhelming. I have been involved in coaching the SP Golf Academy and joining the lunchtime forum where sharing of ideas is always of major benefit to the participants. It is clear that Parkinson’s can be a very lonely place and Sport Parkinson’s is making great waves at alleviating this for so many.”

Oliver has seen the effects of Parkinson's; “one of my best friends mothers has long since suffered from Parkinson's and it is something I have unfortunately witnessed first-hand. When she was first diagnosed, I helped raise money through getting involved in charity events for The Cure Parkinson’s Trust. Speaking to Pete about the amazing work Sport Parkinson’s does made it an easy decision for me to sign up.”

Greg, a long suffering and self-professed golf addict, can appreciate how difficult the game can be at the best of times! “Pete explained to me the work the golf academy has been doing to look into the balance of medication during a round of golf and pairing that with a strategy to help the golfers keep their rounds going. I really look forward to attending some of the golf events going forward and seeing the work in action”.

In golfing terms, if the average round is 7km, this is the equivalent of 15 trips around the golf course. It is no mean feat and the boys will appreciate any support they are able to get. If you are able to donate now, that will be incredible as it really is going straight to where it is needed within the Parkinson’s community. Equally any messages of support and encouragement would be welcomed. Thank you!