In Parkinson’s Awareness Month (April) this year, Michael Jennings, Joe Macrae, John Collison and Lucas Overton will take on the Newcastle Half Marathon for Shake It Up, trying to reach personal goals to challenge themselves and raise vital funds for Parkinson’s research. Running with Lucas’ father in mind, who has Parkinson’s, the team have already smashed their original fundraising goal in 12 hours, raising $2,940 in just a couple of days.

We spoke to the boys who told us a bit about their challenge and motivation.

What drives your commitment to a cure for Parkinson’s?

We as a team want to raise awareness for Parkinsons by doing this run whilst raising money towards research for a cure. We want to see a world that patients and their families no longer need to deal with the struggles Parkinsons Disease can entail. We want to help to make a difference.

What is it like to have a family member with Parkinson’s?

It can be hard hard at times. Mainly seeing a loved one go through the disease progression. Seeing a family member deal with the struggles of Parkinsons, day in and day out is the hardest thing. Then watching the condition slowly progress and them not being able to do everything they once did. There is also constant medical and allied health appointments they need to attend.

What are you doing to “shake things up” and fundraise?

To fundraise for this great cause we have signed up to run the NewRun Half Marathon in Newcastle at the start of April. This challenge is a result of shaking things up in our own lives, as 18 months ago we were not running at all and as a group we were 50kgs heavier. We wanted to tie these individual goals into something meaningful in a broader sense, and fundraising for this charity is a fantastic way to assist in the important field of Parkinson’s Research.

What advice do you have for others wanting to make a difference?

Start small and work your way up! It can be daunting to commit to a major challenge, but everyone can share fundraisers with their friends or help out someone in their training. You can be eight or eighty and still have a positive impact in the fight against Parkinson’s.

Find out more about how you can make a difference by getting involved with fundraising. Challenging yourself for Parkinson’s is one of the easiest ways to raise funds.

100% of all funds raised will go directly towards cutting-edge Parkinson’s Research for better treatments to slow, stop and prevent Parkinson’s progression.