00:00I don't want to see another son or daughter have to watch what I've had to
00:06watch go through with my dad. So, whilst we're going up this hill, we'll chat about why we're
00:14doing it. My main principal driver is, as I said, my dad has Parkinson's over 20 years
00:20and I've watched a strong, purposeful role model slowly be eaten away by this disease.
00:32Probably didn't give it enough respect when he first told me he had it. Didn't really see
00:38anything to worry about so I didn't do any research on it, didn't really pay any
00:45attention to it and I seriously regret that now because I think if I'd have been on him
00:50a bit more about A, getting out on the bike, doing exercise, staying strong, I think it
00:57would have really benefited him further down the line.
01:01You know, my dad's a very stoic northerner. Sometimes he's the worst enemy and he is where
01:10he is now, which is not really in a good way. Has really horrible, terrible days but then
01:18can still have good days when he goes out and about. Obviously not during lockdown at the
01:24moment and unfortunately, even if they did find a cure right now, I'm not entirely sure
01:30that's going to help him that much but that's still the aim, still why I'm involved.
01:39The other reason why I'm doing it is that about five years ago I got invited to play golf with
01:43an inspirational man called Tom Isaacs whose dyskinesia was what you call intense to say
01:53the least. He could stand over a golf ball and he could stop all his shaking and play golf and
01:59play it pretty well. And the first time I met him, 75 yard shot, he stuck it in.
02:07I've turned around to give him a high five and he's disappeared. Then suddenly
02:11see this bush rustling down a little hill and as he's hit the shot
02:16his dyskinesia's kicked in. He's in a double backward roll
02:21into a bush and he comes out. The only way Tom has it's good and says, really sorry about that.
02:29I just had to celebrate with a double backward roll.
02:34And that's how he lived his life. He didn't let passions get him down. He didn't let him stop
02:42anything that he wanted to do. Obviously when he first got diagnosed he walked around the whole
02:46coast of the UK raising a load of money and that was his main goal. And for the rest of
02:53his life
02:54unfortunately he died a few years ago now. He sort of set up precedent on what he wants and
03:01Wilcock who's his best friend, best man, has now taken over the charity and he's driven passionately
03:09because of his best friend that we can find a cure for this disease.
03:14Obviously Covid has put hampers to a lot of charities plans for events and fundraisers this
03:21year and we're no different. We're probably going to lose two million into research this year which
03:29is a real kick in the teeth. On Saturday we were supposed to be flying to Geneva. We were then
03:33going
03:33be cycling from Lake Geneva to Nice over the Alps. So how we've managed to change it so we can
03:41do it
03:41in these Covid times is we're doing Raid Local. It's there on Sunday the 28th June 137 kilometres
03:503,750 metres climbing. The legend that is Sir Chris Hoy leading us off 8am on Sunday. We've got Ian
04:02Bolshaw who's digging in for the for the whole ride. Austin Healy, semi-pro cyclist. Annoying.
04:10But without all you cycling geeks out there if you want to try and keep up with him
04:14and keep having fun with that. We've got Lee Westwood. He's been training hard. Kirstie Gallagher's
04:20hopefully going to join in. Shane Williams the Welsh legend who literally eats cycling for breakfast.
04:26And we want anyone who's been affected by Parkinson's, who has a connection with Parkinson's,
04:33who doesn't have a connection with Parkinson's but just enjoys getting out on their bike and
04:37feels that that'd be a little bit of a challenge. Please do it if you can. Raise some money to
04:44a charity
04:45that's working on a disease that cripples so many people a year. If you can join in please do.
04:52It really will be appreciated. And that is the top of Horsley Hill. So I'm now going to shut up
05:01and get back to pedalling.
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