Dream. Believe. Achieve. Succeed. This is my mantra. I have these words mounted above a window in my home. I live by these words, even more so now, since I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
I am someone who dreams big, sets goals, puts a plan in place to achieve those goals and then works her tail off to ensure those dreams come true! With Parkinson’s, I’ve had to become more flexible, adjusting and modifying my goals and making changes as necessary.
Being a runner/walker all my life naturally led to some lofty goals. One example was my dream to complete a marathon (yup, that’s 26.2 miles) in all 50 states. About halfway through my journey, after finishing the Oh Boy Marathon in Connecticut, I caught a red eye to Los Angeles, grabbed a quick shower, put on my CFO hat, and then held my own in an intense shareholders meeting. Walking (more like staggering) back to the hotel after that meeting I noticed a slight tremor in my left hand. It was easy to write it off as stress or exhaustion from the previous day’s events.
A few more tremors, a couple of doctor visits later, and a DaTscan resulted in my PD diagnosis shortly thereafter. My goal to complete a marathon in 50 states did not change but I knew I would have to work harder to make it happen. I found that out, during a race around mile 20 when my gait and balance started to suffer, other concerned racers asked if I needed help or medical attention. I thanked them for their concern and said, “This is what Parkinson’s looks like; help us find a cure.”
I made a shirt that says, “50 States Countdown Fighting Parkinson’s 1 mile at a time.” Now, when I wear it, people come up to me and say, “You’re such an Inspiration” or “I can’t believe you’re doing this” or “My Dad/Aunt/Brother/Friend…has PD, can I tell them your story?”
For the past seven years I’ve been doing everything I can to fight off Parkinson’s. In addition to putting in the long training miles needed for the marathons, I’ve added cycling classes, lap swimming, strength training, line dancing and ping pong to my exercise regime. My physical therapist uses the tag line “Exercise is Medicine” and we both believe that my rigorous workouts and Marathon lifestyle have helped me keep my Parkinson’s symptoms at bay.
Now I can say I am fully living my mantra Dream. Believe. Achieve. Succeed. I never lost sight of the Dream! I firmly Believed I could complete 50 marathons in 50 states. I Achieved my goal, and on September 22, 2024, I Succeeded in completing the Adirondack Marathon in NY with family, friends and a few hundred cheering fans to help me celebrate.
But the Dream does not stop here. I will continue to fight Parkinson’s with everything in me, while doing my best to encourage and inspire others to do the same.