Kristina Löfdahl, Sweden
“Firstly I began to train my body so I wouldn’t get any worse and would hopefully get better. I decided to learn to drive before I was too ill to learn and at the same time I took up golfing lessons so that I could play golf with my husband.
“It is now over ten years since my diagnosis. I still work and train and have taken up kickboxing to help with my balance. In fact, the only thing I can do without any problems when I am ‘off’ is box and kick. I cannot explain it, but perhaps I am using some part of my brain that controls survival!”
See also Kristina's personal journey with Parkinson's video (Reflections on Parkinson's).
Branko Smid, Slovenia
“Even though I experience many difficulties each day, my social life is fulfilling. I enjoy all kinds of sports (including winter skiing in the Slovenian mountains), but prefer walking, table tennis, billiards and darts – all helpful for my co-ordination and keeping me active. I enjoy good company and lots of fun.”
Tom Isaacs, UK
“To avoid wallowing introspectively, I started to embrace the very thing that was throttling me. I went in search of a cure for Parkinson’s by raising funds and awareness through sponsored walks.
“My first walk raised £40,000 walking the length of Britain, from John O’Groats to Lands End and the level of support I received spurred me on to undertake an even more ridiculous challenge. From April 2002 to April 2003, I walked 4,500 miles around the coastline of Britain, raising £350,000.
“I might not have chosen it, but oddly, once I accepted that Parkinson’s is part of who I am, I have managed to generate a real sense of fulfillment in my life.”
Terry Kavanagh, UK
“With my working life coming to an end I began to understand what a complicated condition Parkinson’s was and that perhaps I could be of a little help to other families similarly impacted. This was in 1991 and I wanted to raise some money for Parkinson’s. I decided that now I had the time, I would like to run in the London Marathon. So with great determination I began to improve my fitness and ran every day. In 1992 the Parkinson’s Disease Society (PDS UK) entered a marathon team (including me) for the first time. Since then the PDS Marathon Team have raised millions of pounds for Parkinson’s and I have completed 18 marathons in all (including two in New York and one in Dublin) and have raised over £54,000.”
