CHALLENGES are what motivate Brighton East’s Quentin Brown.

And they don’t come much bigger – or higher – than Mt Kilimanjaro.

Diagnosed last year with young onset Parkinson’s disease when aged just 40, Mr Brown, his two sisters and two mates are climbing the African mountain in October.

A director and graphic designer at St Kilda business Canyon Brand, the father of three first noticed things weren’t quite right when he started to struggle to draw.

He has been training three or four times a week for several months to get fit for the momentous mountainous challenge.

“For me it’s about being competitive, about enjoying the simple things,” Mr Brown said.

“I am fortunate to be in a situation to be able to talk about it.”

He is hopeful that despite there currently being no cure for the ailment, research would one day help stop his decline.

“There are better treatments now, but no magic bullet,” he said.

“But there is a lot of hope, a lot of research happening in Australia and worldwide.”

Around 80,000 Australians live with the disease, and around 30 more people are diagnosed each day.

Money raised from the climb goes towards the Shake It Up Australia Foundation, which is aligned with the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.