Our hero this week is Wendy, who took on the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival Half Marathon. Due to Covid-19, this event was run virtually and participants could run any route within their local restrictions. Wendy dedicated her run to her sister who has Parkinson’s, making the distance from Ingleside to Clontarf and celebrating with a walk in Manly. And Wendy raised $1,324 for Parkinson’s Research along the way. We asked Wendy to tell us her story.

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

Our family has a history of Parkinson’s disease including my Mum, Aunty and now my beautiful sister. It is so hard watching the terrible mental and physical effects this disease can have on the human body. A cure for Parkinson’s would be amazing.

What did you do to ‘shake things up’ and fundraise?

I feel blessed to participate in the Blackmores Half Marathon for the past 11 years. With the support of Shake It Up Australia Foundation I was able to create my profile, share via social media and invite family and friends to sponsor me.  It was a lot of fun sharing my photos when I completed the 21k run in my local area (due to COVID restrictions).

What advice do you have for others looking to fundraise?

Make it fun by sharing lots of photos, acknowledge every donation no matter how big or small and be proud of yourself educating people about Parkinson’s Disease.

You can still participate in the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival from anywhere in the country as it is running virtually until Sunday 17 October. 

There are lots of other athletic events you can participate in including running, walking, swimming and cycling. Find out more about how to get involved and how your fundraising can help.