Simon Cooper (2 North 1982), shares some thoughts on his diagnosis and a report of their extraordinary ride:
“Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at 52 is unusual, but by no means unheard of. Like many, previously I had thought it was just about being shaky (which I’m not in fact) whereas you actually quickly learn how neuro-transmitters in the brain misbehave, resulting in a lack of dopamine production for random, unknown, non-genetic reasons. Having spent the first year after diagnosis understanding it and then explaining it to friends and family (“I would prefer understanding to sympathy” I would say rather pompously!) it was time to engage the disease by signing on to clinical trials (amongst others I am on a two year, stage 3 trial which requires injecting myself every week) and raising money to find a cure.
“Having worked in the London Insurance market for 40 years I was rather proud to see 65 companies matching their reputation for willingly settling valid claims payments by willingly contributing £200,000 in sponsorship! And the individual fund raising by the cyclists caught the imagination too; whereas everyone was required to raise £1,000 the average was well over three times that amount.
“Cure Parkinson’s focus is on slowing, stopping or reversing Parkinson’s. With unlimited funds this would definitely be achievable, in reality every pound is important and the £338,000 raised on the ride is very significant, especially as they also have match funding arrangements which can multiply their investments up to a factor of 7 times.
“With plenty of time to cogitate in the saddle over the three days I realised that the ride was a success at a number of levels beyond the fund-raising. Becoming fitter than at any time in the last five years evidently benefitted my personal condition and that applied to many of the other riders too but friendships made between the cyclists, who didn’t know each other previously, as well as those re-formed as sponsorship arrived from long lost contacts (including OC’s) has been a real bonus.”
THE RIDE
“Without a doubt one of the toughest but best challenges I’ve ever done!”
“Truly unforgettable. From holding back the tears seeing Coops finish, to hugging Mark on his bounceback from being oh so close to oblivion, to many micro stories of real human endeavour.”
Wednesday
After our well attended depart from the City at 8am it was stop/start and slow for a couple of hours as we negotiated the London traffic but thanks to the Green Belt the countryside lanes suddenly kick in, as do the hills! Thankfully we stayed ahead of the rain as we climbed the North Downs, passed through idyllic Kent countryside, forced our way over the South Downs and arrived Dover before 6pm for a 7.30pm ferry. Port bureaucracy meant we spent an hour waiting on a very chilly dockside as 41 riders were integrated into the global freight system. Dinner on board and a further 10km on the other side meant we rolled into our hotel at 11.30pm. 145km in all.
Thursday
The 6.30 alarm heralded a day of riding through flat French, Belgian and Dutch countryside. Perfect conditions meant we raced to coffee at Dunkirk, not to say there were no minor incidents – such as having to walk through road closures, cycling off road and waiting for canal bridges to open and close as our group leader showed absolute loyalty to the mapping software on our bikes. Alongside minor mechanical issues and physical needs we now found ourselves tight for time for our short evening ferry which was still 60km away, so beautiful Bruges will in fact be remembered by us as riding over 3km of uncomfortable cobbles and snatching lunch on a pavement outside a supermarket. When we set sail at 6.18pm only a handful of cyclists had missed it and had to wait an hour. 7km to Middelburg on the other side meant we completed the 175km at 7.30pm.
Friday
We set off at 8am after a night at a hotel with death defying steps and fewer beds than cyclists. All three groups were delighted at how accomplished they had become in just two days, as we rode across the enormous North Sea dam system at over 30km an hour – ignoring the fact that we had been leant a fabulous tail wind. Spirits were high as we met for coffee after 60km. Thereafter the route became labyrinthine as we crossed infinite roundabouts skirting Rotterdam and The Hague. Wrong turnings were taken and punctures became frequent in some groups, with speeds and energy levels dropping accordingly. Appropriately a canal cycle-path escorted us for the last 30km into the centre of Amsterdam at 6.30pm. Faster groups had waited for us at Vondel Park where I was encouraged to lead everyone to the finish – everyone that is except the group that were an hour and a half later that is. It was all rather emotional!
Unfortunately there were injuries – a fractured shoulder for one whose bike wheel caught a tram line and an ambulance for another having face-planted at speed. The latter now resembles the Phantom of the Opera but only missed about 40km. For others some bruises and road rash as they found various ways to fall, and sunburn for many.
That’s cycle touring for you. Long distances and long days during which energy levels rise and fall and exhaustion tests your judgement and good humour, but it is ultimately great fun. Distance travelled 508km, total raised for Cure Parkinson’s £334k to date.
Thank you.
If you would like to donate the page is still open: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/simoncooper88