Pedaling for Parkinson’s

Inaugural County ride raises funds for research

Over three hundred bicycle riders raised more than $107,000 for research into Parkinson’s disease during the inaugural Pedaling for Parkinson’s event held in the County. The three-day event was organized by the husband and wife team of Jim Redmond and Krista Simonett, and is the continuation of an annual ride that had been held in Parry Sound from 2011 to 2018. Redmond was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s four years ago, at the age of 45. He started cycling as a way to alleviate the symptoms and took part in the Parry Sound fundraiser for a couple of years. When that event wound down last year, he and Simonett decided to start it up again in the County to continue to raise money for research. “Nobody knows what the root cause of Parkinson’s is,” he says. “The result of Parkinson’s disease is that you don’t produce dopamine—a neurotransmitter—in your brain, so it messes up the signals from your brain to your muscles.” There is no cure for Parkinson’s, the symptoms of which was first formally described in 1817. The most common treatment is the drug Carbidopa-Levodopa, a synthetic form of dopamine that has been available for around 60 years.

Steve Iseman stands with members of the Rigid Riders, a team comprised of people with Parkinson’s disease.

While the drug treatment is generally effective, the side-effects can sometimes be as bad as the disease itself. There are other drug therapies available, as well as a treatment known as deep brain stimulation where implanted electrodes sends electrical impulses directly to specific areas of the brain. There is considerable research going on into the cause of Parkinson’s, with the end goal being a cure for the disease, as well as a continuing search for ways to improve treatment so that life with Parkinson’s can become better. “This is why research grants are so important,” says Simonett. “People are actively trying to figure out what is causing this neurological disorder that we don’t understand yet.”

All of the funds raised by Pedaling for Parkinson’s goes directly to research, with all administrative costs being covered by sponsorships. During the eight years in Parry Sound, the event raised over $1.7 million. On Saturday morning Peter Istvan, one of the co-organizers of the Parry Sound fundraiser, came to the County to take part in the inaugural ride. “There are some dark days when you have Parkinson’s,” he says. “This is a way to make a difference in the lives of people with Parkinson’s.”

The starting point for the rides on each of Friday, Saturday and Sunday was the Milford Fairgrounds. Cyclists began arriving at around 6:30 a.m. to register, with the ride beginning at 7:30. On Saturday, Mayor Steve Ferguson welcomed the riders, and encouraged them to take in the beautiful scenery of the County as they cycled along the roads, some of which he wryly noted might be in need of repair. The riders could fuel up with coffee and muffins, much of which was donated by volunteers from Milford, before heading out on routes ranging from 40 kilometres to 120 kilometres. A team of volunteers manned waypoints and rest stops along the routes to ensure a trouble-free ride for the cyclists. “The main feature of the rest stops is the home-made cookies that the volunteers have donated,” says Simonett. “You go there and hang out for as long as you want. It’s about a sense of community, it’s a really nice feeling.” That sense of belonging and community is something that Redmond and Simonett would like to preserve. The ride in Parry Sound attracted around 350 participants, and that is a number that the couple are comfortable with. “A lot of what made this ride special is the great community and personal basis. We don’t want to take away from the core of what makes this a really exceptional event,” says Simonett.

Risa Rosenfield gets ready to ride the 65-kilometre route on Saturday.

Many of the cyclists taking part in the ride are living with Parkinson’s, or they have a close family member with the disease. Risa Rosenfield has been taking part in these rides for the past six years. Her father and grandfather both have Parkinson’s. “This organization is amazing, because 100 per cent of the donations go directly towards research grants,” she says. “I love the community this ride brings together. You really feel the emotion and the connection and the support for everyone.” The largest group to take part in the ride was the Rigid Riders, all of whom have Parkinson’s. The group raised close to $30,000. The captain of the group, Steve Iseman, related a story of how he came to terms with the disease. “Parkinson’s hadn’t really taken much from me, because it couldn’t. Because I felt strong, I felt connected, and I was with people who were making a difference for me,” he says. “Everyone has something that can hold them back, and we can spend our time worrying about what may or may not come in the future, or we could focus on things that are going well right now.”

An estimated 40,000 people in Ontario have Parkinson’s disease, with a large majority over age 70. However, early-onset Parkinson’s seems to be on the increase and now accounts for about 15 per cent of all cases, with people in their 30s and 40s being diagnosed. Drug treatment remains the best initial approach to the disease, although other treatment regimes can help mitigate the symptoms. “People are starting to realize the benefits of exercise, and mostly high-intensity interval exercise,” says Redmond. “For me, cycling is the best thing to help control my symptoms. But lots of studies are happening, clinical trials to gauge what kinds of exercise will benefit people with Parkinson’s the most.” Redmond and Simonett expect to return to the County next year for another Pedaling for Parkinson’s ride. For more information, or to donate please visit pedalingforparkinsons.ca.