Alison Anderson
Alison Anderson was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s in 2015, aged 46. Originally from Dundee, Scotland, Alison lives in Cheltenham with her husband and three sons. Following her diagnosis, Alison found hope and support from others in a similar situation.
Alison’s sense of optimism, hope and determination is an inspiration to others. She has found real benefits in keeping active to manage her Parkinson’s symptoms, particularly in cycling, which she has also channelled into raising funds for Cure Parkinson’s research.
Undeterred by her condition, Alison has taken on some major cycling challenges with her faithful team of friends – The Cyclopaths – to raise funds for Cure Parkinson’s. In 2017, the team cycled an incredible 500km from Vietnam to Cambodia, and in 2018, they cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats. In 2020, Alison took on the gruelling Raid Alpine, but due to COVID-19 restrictions she cycled the 137km in one day across the hills of Gloucestershire instead (right) joining Cure Parkinson’s CEO Will Cook and Patron Mike Tindall. Then in 2022, Alison did get to cycle the French Alps; completing the second Raid Alpine cycling challenge, Alison cycled the 770km route, over some of the most feared climbs in the cycling world – tackling 18,000 metres in ascent – that’s more than twice the height of Everest!
In July 2023, Alison will cycle from her home town all the way to Barcelona, to meet up with many other people attending the World Parkinson Congress!
“I knew I needed to turn my diagnosis into something positive, and for me that’s fundraising and raising awareness. Exercise is thought to help delay disease progression and I need to believe that something will help give me the kind of future I always assumed I would have. Having Parkinson’s can make the future seem very scary but it helps me to focus on how important and how precious each day is. Cycling makes me feel that I am making the most of each and every day while investing in my future.”
“I’m a huge supporter of Cure Parkinson’s, which funds research with the potential to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson’s. If they can achieve this, the lives of millions of people living with the condition will be changed for the better. Recent research is yielding promising results and until a cure is found, Cure Parkinson’s provides real hope and support which is a precious gift to give.”
If Alison has inspired you to think about fundraising for us – find out more about our fundraising events.
