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Mark Jensen

Milwaukie, Oregon
Mark Jensen

I was diagnosed with PD a little over 10 years ago in April 2015, during Parkinson’s Awareness Month. I noticed what I called ‘pre-race jitters’ and reduced performance with cramping on one side of my body. I thought it was over-training, so I backed off training and racing, but my tremor in my right hand and foot got worse. My mother had Parkinson’s, so I was somewhat familiar with the symptoms. This is when I started my Parkinson’s journey toward diagnosis. I was active in master bike racing, personal fitness, and my community. I stopped racing but volunteered as a race official and still attended to cheer on friends. I continued to ride at a more relaxed pace. I also joined Rock Steady Boxing for Parkinson’s, which was one of the best things I did for myself after diagnosis. It allowed me to stay active and become a member of the local Parkinson’s community. It means getting up each day to face whatever comes. I look at each day as an opportunity to learn, live life, and see if I can make the day better for others or myself. Living well with Parkinson’s means never giving up and showing others through my actions that they shouldn’t give up either. As a big fan of bike racing, I knew of Davis Phinney and his drive in the Parkinson’s community. I wanted to be part of his mission to make a difference in other people’s lives as well as my own. I want to show others with Parkinson’s, and the general community, that just because you have PD, you don’t have to stop living life to its fullest. I made a career change a few years after my diagnosis and got into the alternative and sustainable agriculture business. I worked for a firm that imported small farm equipment. I enjoyed serving that community and took it upon myself to learn as much as possible. During this time, I also learned my PD may be connected to the use of Paraquat on the small farm I grew up on. This new knowledge has made me an advocate for stopping the use of herbicides and other toxins in farming.

A typical Sunday starts with breakfast or brunch with family or friends. Then I might go for a hike, explore new neighborhoods, or go for a bike ride with a group or on my own.

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