February 8, 2012 10.37 am This story is over 145 months old

Why Parkinson’s UK is my chosen charity for Lincoln 10k

Lincoln 10k story: One in every 500 has Parkinson’s. My grandad is one of them. I’m going to raise money for the charity that is working to find a cure.
L-R: Stephanie’s grandad with her brother, Stephnaie in her Lincoln 10k outfit.

— In the third of a four-part feature series ahead of the Lincoln 10k Road Race, Stephanie Bolton explains her personal reasons for running the Lincoln 10k this year.

I’ve always been a grandad’s girl; enjoying several summer holidays and trips to Center Parcs with my grandparents, the most recent being New Year 2010. I’ve been fortunate that my Grandad has always been very active, taking us swimming, out for dog walks and anything that meant being out of the house.

Now, after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, he has to limit the amount of outdoor activity he undertakes, has a constant tremor, and his movements are much slower. It’s sad to see someone who was once so active slow down, and it’s for this reason that I have chosen to fundraise for Parkinson’s UK when I run the Lincoln 10k this March.

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition that affects one person in every 500. As yet there is no cure, but the condition doesn’t directly cause those suffering to die. Parkinson’s UK is the largest charity in the UK to fund research into the condition, which is caused by a lack of the chemical dopamine:

“People with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of a chemical called dopamine because some nerve cells in their brain have died. Without dopamine people can find that their movements become slower so it takes longer to do things,” say the charity, which changed their name from Parkinson’s Disease Society in 2010.

The main symptoms of the condition are tremors, rigidity and slowness of movement, but it also causes pain, tiredness and depression, and can affect the sufferer’s quality of life.

Parkinson’s UK have already invested more than £50 million in groundbreaking research and aim to reach £75 million by 2014. Their website states: “We fund research to advance our understanding of Parkinson’s and what causes it. Our research also improves treatments to make life easier for people living with Parkinson’s.”

I’m aiming to raise £200 by completing the 10k this March, and whilst I want to raise money to help the charity with their funding, I also hope that I can raise awareness of Parkinson’s UK and their work, including their campaigns. They aim to work to “improve the understanding of Parkinson’s by changing attitudes and challenging myths”, hence their slogan, “Change attitudes. Find a cure. Join us.”

The charity’s founder, Mali Jenkins, was spurred on to find out more information about the condition after her sister had been living with Parkinson’s for a few years, and it was from this that the charity Parkinson’s Disease Society was formed.

Her main motivation for this was seeing her sister’s plight, and throughout my training I am finding that there is no better motivation to keep going than the knowledge that my efforts are going to raise much-needed money for a charity that is working to improve the lives of those living with Parkinson’s. I only have to picture my Grandad and I pick up speed, and I know that seeing him as I approach the finish line on the day will help me to find the energy I know I’ll be lacking towards the end of the race.

If you would like to sponsor me, please visit my JustGiving page.