Paralympic athlete to share story at free event

Guest speakers also to include expert on Alzheimer’s disease

A Paralympic athlete and an expert on Alzheimer’s disease will speak at a free community event coming up in Kelowna.

Okanagan Clinical Trials, a medical research company in Kelowna, is hosting the event, which will take place Wednesday, May 23, at the Okanagan College theatre, beginning at 7 p.m.

Guest speaker Josh Dueck is a Canadian alpine skier. He won a silver medal in the men’s slalom sit-ski event at the 2010 Winter Paralympics. In February 2012, Dueck became the first person to perform a backflip on snow in a sit-ski.

His incredible success in sport has inspired him to explore the depth of his own humanity, which he shares with grace and humility.

The evening will also feature Dr. Kim Christie. She is the director of research at Okanagan Clinical Trials. She has extensive knowledge of neurological diseases, specializing in Alzheimer’s disease. She obtained both her master’s and doctoral degrees in neuroscience from the University of Calgary and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Melbourne. She has published multiple scientific papers in journals and conveys a deep understanding of the brain and peripheral nervous system.

“Currently, there are no treatments to prevent Alzheimer’s disease,” said Christie. “Medications focused on the genetic risk would be a huge advancement in the prevention and treatment of the disease. If effective, this would offer great hope to families devastated by Alzheimer’s.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and affects almost 30 million people worldwide. It is a progressive condition with no cure. Typically, it begins by affecting an individual’s short-term memory. It worsens over time and eventually leads to death.

Most often, Alzheimer’s affects people over the age of 65, but some develop early-onset Alzheimer’s much earlier in life.

Individuals interested in attending this free event should call Okanagan Clinical Trials and ask for Patti to reserve their seat. Alternatively, people can visit www.oktrials.ca and click the event link on the home page to reserve tickets. Please note that seating is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Okanagan Clinical Trials can be reached at 250-862-8141.