Our heroes this week are Claire and Elizabeth who are about to embark on an adventure challenge in China to raise funds for Parkinson’s after Claire’s Dad was diagnosed. Their greatest reward would be to see future advances in Parkinson’s treatment and knowing that they helped to make that happen. With this week hosting International Women’s Day and the theme being #BeBoldForChange they have certainly stepped up to the challenge.

What Drives Your Commitment to find a cure for Parkinson’s?

Everyday 38 Australians are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Today that is 38 more people who need the hope of a cure for this horrible disease. This sort of research is very close to our hearts as Claire’s Dad has recently been diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease. This has opened our eyes to what a big impact Parkinson’s has on so many people. It is therefore our desire to show our support for others in the community who are in a similar situation.

Why Shake It Up Australia?

We recognised the awesome work Shake It Up does to link community involvement with high level research and loved how every cent goes towards finding a cure.

Tell us what you are doing to Shake Things Up?

To Shake Things Up we’re taking on an adventure charity challenge in China! We’re both quite adventurous people, but being full-time uni students means we spend most of our days with our heads in the books. Consequently, we haven’t had very much experience doing long walks or treks… we don’t even have hiking boots yet! So, in June we will be flying to China to embark on a journey along one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We will be trekking along a remote region of the Great Wall of China outside Beijing in the Heibei Province for eight days whilst camping in rural villages and meeting lots of people along the way. We’re very excited to be able to share our story with all those we meet.

Greatest Reward?

So far the greatest reward has been seeing the incredible generosity of our family and friends who have supported our cause! We have already been overwhelmed with a number of donations and are well on the way to reaching our fundraising goal!

We believe that this adventure will be a once in a lifetime experience, and that we have a lot to gain on a personal level as well. We’re looking forward to challenging ourselves, experiencing a different culture and coming home with a whole new perspective.

Being able to spread awareness of an illness that affects so many Australians will be a major highlight for us as well. Above all, the greatest reward for us will hopefully be seeing future advances in Parkinson’s treatment and knowing that we helped to make that happen.

Best advice for people looking to Shake It Up?

If you want to help, persevere with it. We have had our share of setbacks along this journey, but have remained determined not to let them stop us from giving our support to Shake It Up. Remember that no matter how big or how small your project is, you can make a difference to the lives of people living with Parkinson’s!

“Live in the moment, enjoy the day, make the most of what you have” – Michael J. Fox