Great response to Etape effort
Marc overwhelmed as cash floods in for bike bid
An inspirational Comrie man has been overwhelmed by the response to a planned charity cycling adventure – just days after it was announced.
Marc van Grieken is taking on the 81-mile Etape Caledonia Challenge in Highland Perthshire on May 21 to raise money for Parkinson’s UK.
This will be the landscape architect’s sixth time taking part but, this time, he faces even more of a challenge because of the progression of his Parkinson’s disease.
Marc decided to set a fundraising target of £60,000 partly linked to his 60th birthday in April this year, and has already raised almost £4000 in just five days.
He told the Herald: “You’ve got to be ambitious, I think, and the response I have had from people is phenomenal. I was hoping for a good response, but didn’t expect this.”
It is more than 10 years since Marc was diagnosed with the neurological condition.
He explained: “It presented itself to me by stopping my right leg from moving whilst running, which used to be my favourite exercise.
“I thought initially that I could ignore it and pretended nothing would change and that it would not affect my family and my daily life.
“I also thought that if I told people that I had Parkinson’s that I would be, sympathetically perhaps, cast aside by the wider world.
“I was wrong on both counts. Parkinson’s disease does affect your family and my partner and daughters have been brilliant and very supportive, and people in the wider world have stuck with me. I’m extremely thankful for that.”
Once he had accepted the reality of the progressive disease and started telling people, he was struck by how many had loved ones who were also afflicted.
Marc said: “This hammered home the reality and also the fact that there are many people affected by this disease.
“I have since met numerous people who are affected by Parkinson’s disease and have also learned that there are different versions, so to speak, and different stages but in all cases there is progression of the disease resulting in a worsening of symptoms, reduction in mobility and for some a gradual erosion of quality of life. Being honest that is scary.”
Marc says he is fortunate that in his case progression has been slow.
He added: “I am touching every bit of wood to keep it that way.
“I also believe that with adequate funding of appropriate research this dreadful disease can be tamed or cured.
“For this reason, I want to try and raise as much money as possible for research into finding a cure for Parkinson’s.
“My fundraising target is very ambitious but if it is achieved it would fund cutting edge research for a full year and fund a Parkinson’s nurse for a day a week for a year.
“Therefore, the money raised to date will already fund four weeks’ research.”
Training is going well and Marc will be accompanied on the Etape by a team of friends - Donald Coltart, Nick James and Stuart Henderson.
He has given his team the apt name the ‘Shaky team from Shaky Toun’ as a nod to one of the most widely recognised symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Marc also plans to do some fundraising events around Comrie, such as a ‘static’ cycle in St Kessog’s Square, to raise awareness.
• Find the page by searching for ‘ Marc van Grieken’ on www.justgiving.com
My partner and daughters have been brilliant and very supportive . . . Fundraiser Marc