Supporting Grandma in the City to Bay Run

Running season is not far off with events like Blackmores Sydney Running Festival, City2Surf and Westpac City-Bay Run just around the corner. We spoke to Alex who has put together a big team of family and friends to tackle the Westpac City-Bay Run together and support his Grandma who has been living with Parkinson’s for five years.

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

Personally my commitment to finding a cure for Parkinson’s comes from watching my grandma deteriorate over time due to this disease. After only 5 years it has made her into a physically weak person however, she continues to fight every day to stay positive for everyone around her. For the team, many of them have connections to my grandma including my sister, cousins and mother and some have come to support the concept of fundraising for a good cause including my friends from school. Others have connections through their own personal experiences of having someone in the family who has Parkinson’s disease.

Why Shake It Up Australia?

Shake it up really stood out to me as the organisation which is most likely to help me to get the most money for their cause. They help with providing t shirts and posting about our fundraising efforts which is really appreciated. Furthermore, they are focused on research which is a big part of why we are all doing this.

Tell us what you are doing/did to Shake Things Up?

We are doing the City to Bay fun run. Some of us are doing 6km walks/runs and some of us are challenging ourselves and doing the 12km walk/run. This is a fun idea which bought us all together and made the fundraising efforts much easier.

Greatest Reward?

The greatest reward I would say is knowing we are making a difference. Whether that is big or small we are making a difference and I think that applies for all of us involved.

Best advice for people looking to Shake It Up?

Give it a go! Any contribution will make a huge difference and it’ll give you a greater image of yourself to know you’re making a difference can really change your life.