THIS FUNDRAISER IS NOW CLOSED

The three rides take place:

June 7th-15th (USA), DONE

June 22nd-July 6th (UK), DONE

August 3rd-11th (Norway). DONE

Follow me and the rides on https://www.instagram.com/rubjerke/

All donations received are split equally (25% each) between:

- Davis Phinney Foundation For Parkinson´s (*) founded by the American professional cyclist Davis Phinney, and helping people with Parkinson all over the world.

- MJ Fox Foundation For Parkinson´s Research (*) founded by Michael J. Fox, who has become a hero within the PD community, for creating awareness and billions of $ to PD research.

- Cure Parkinson´s - UK organisation founded by 4 people with PD in 2005, and has since become a significant charity fir PD, funding research towards a cure.

- Zwifters Against Parkinson ZWAP Cycling Club (**), founded in 2023, to promote and facilitate cycling as exercise for people with PD. Daily exercise groups using Zwift, and with a paralell social dimension using Zoom.

(*) Through Uncorked Adventure´s and The Long Ride

(**) For the record, I´m a co-founder of the (not for profit) ZWAP Cycling Club, officially registered as «Sykkelklubben ZWAP» in Norway, but with members i 10 different countries, incl UK, USA and Canada.

My story:

I am 55 years old, living in Trondheim (Norway) with my wife. Together we have 3 grown-up children and a 10 month old granddaughter. It´s almost 8 years since I got diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 47.

During the first years, Parkinson is not a very visible disease. That’s because the medicines work quite well in the beginning and symptoms are easier to hide. However, as years go by, the number of hours the medicine is effective get fewer, and the «off»-periods with stronger symptoms get longer. New symptoms may emerge and worsen due to various factors. Over time most people with Parkinson have to make changes in their work life – in business often caused by the pressure and stress from tight meeting schedules, deadlines or travel. The most exciting, fast moving and challenging tasks, that once filled you with energy, become something you are forced to avoid. As a result of this, I am now only working about 20%.

It sucks getting a life-changing disease when you're in the most fun and successful part of your career. However, for the open-minded it might also open up new paths. This is what I’ve tried to focus on.

And now I realize I´ve got a new job: Exercising!

Ideally this includes getting my heartbeat above 80% for minimum 30 minutes most days, some heavy lifting, a lot of stretching and targeted movement workouts, and even some speech therapy.

My salary is extended days of meaningful life. Exercise is the only scientifically proven “medicine” that delays the cruel and progressive breakdown of body functions that comes with Parkinson´s disease over time.

To fight Parkinson´s, and together with other members of ZWAP Cycling Club, I´m doing 3 long distance rides this summer:

* 800 km in 8 days cycling in the the Rocky Mountains, joining a team crossing the USA (DONE)

* 1600 km in 14 days cycling from Land´s End to John o´Groats in the UK (the LEJOG) (DONE)

* 650 km in 8 days cycling from Lofoten to Tromsø

Did you know that Parkinson´s is now the fastest growing brain disease in the world? That there are no proven disease modifying drugs available?  And that the main symptom-relieving drugs date back to the 1960’s. One would think we can do better!

Numbers from the US indicate that 27 out of 100.000 are now diagnosed with Parkinson each year and 10-20% of these are younger than 50. A good chunk of the growth is explained by environmental factors, like chemical agents used in agriculture, industry and domestically. Some have started to call this an expected pandemic - hopefully preventable!.

Through my new job (exercising), I also try to build another kind of value, through creating awareness, improving the lives of people with Parkinson´s, and raising money for research for better treatments and a future cure.

And this is where YOU can contribute!

Please consider a donation, big or small, everything helps.

Thank You !