I was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease in 2014 at the age of 48. Devastated as I was, it started me on a path of reflection, and I eventually developed the resolve to fight for my most cherished abilities.

I have been a skier and cyclist for most of my life. I love the speed, the community and the athleticism of these silent sports.

And then I lost them both to Parkinson’s Disease.

Skiing was the first to go.  I could not initiate turns equally on both sides. It was before my PD diagnosis and my skiing became inexplicably sloppy. I blamed my equipment, the snow, the weather, until calamity struck and I was injured.  Post PD diagnosis, I continued to try, but found that I could no longer reliably turn left. I had to stop.

Next, I lost cycling. My legs fell out of sequence when I pedalled – one leg was compliant, rotating in a circle like normal, while the other combatively followed an irregular shape under the control of random spasms and muscle seizures. Cycling became a chore – an exercise in frustration – and I had to stop this too.

But I was not ready to give up on these two loves.

Medication calmed my misfirings and training helped to restore balance and strength. With preparation, I can now cycle again. I go as fast as I can, play in the wind, conquer hills, race with no finish line. The joy is back.  I train intentionally, with the goal of improvement, and my skills today are the best that they have ever been.  In 2019 I co-founded a Parkinson’s cycling group called the Rigid Riders to motivate people with Parkinson’s to take charge of their symptom management through intense exercise.

I can also ski again. And even though I am a little more cautious now, I consciously savour each turn.

Especially to the left.