Joe Williams’ Story: Living Well with Parkinson’s

Joe Williams Parkinson's

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Joe’s Story

Today, I’m tired. This 42-mile bike ride is forcing me to dig deep. My son, Peter, is at my side and lets me pull lead. He tucks in behind me, allowing me to fight the headwinds, to battle on my own and feel my effort – mentally and physically. We tick off the miles together over rolling terrain, pitching upward into the foothills. “Lefty,” my afflicted side, is cooperating, so I ride hard. I am tired, yet I feel exhilarated. I’m living well today, and I’m also living with Parkinson’s.

Maybe, like me, you are a cyclist. Maybe you’re partial to another sport or maybe you prefer to stay active through dance or fitness classes. Whatever the case, if you’re reading this message, you or someone you care about is living with Parkinson’s. We are connected by this common experience.

Why Joe Rides With Us

My name is Joe, and each year, I ride with my team of friends and supporters to raise funds for the Davis Phinney Foundation. I pedal through mountains high enough to suck my breath away. I welcome the hours of effort and suffering because I know that the money I raise changes the lives of many people with Parkinson’s. There is only one me, but there are millions of “us” – and too many are hidden away, prisoners inside their locked bodies and trembling hands, though their minds are sharp.

The Davis Phinney Foundation is committed to liberating us from these bonds by providing the tools and inspiration to live a higher quality of life, today. What’s more, they deliver these exceptional quality Parkinson’s resources for free.

So, I call on you today for your help.

Did you know?

A $150 gift provides a full day of interactive education for a person with Parkinson’s and a care partner. A one-time $100 gift provides educational materials to a support group. A monthly gift at the same level helps sustain a growing library of on-demand educational Parkinson’s videos.

To someone like me, your gift is akin to turning on the light in a darkened room. You can help someone to stand tall and regain their sense of purpose as active family members and contributors to the community. From the bottom of my heart and from all of living with Parkinson’s, thank you.

Click Here to Support Living Well


Joe Williams embodies the Davis Phinney Foundation’s mission of living well today with Parkinson’s. What was once simply exercise for him is now a passion to engage and inspire other people with Parkinson’s to believe in their own power to transform themselvesJoe is testament to what a “regular person” can do by taking one small, deliberate action that leads to another, and another until one day, they are living a life with Parkinson’s they’d once thought would be impossible.  

 

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