Over the weekend of 8-10 November 11 people with Parkinsons and 7 partners met at the Leeds Mercure Parkway Hotel for the first Fighting Fit weekend in the north of England. The event was very enthusiastically received by all the participants and Andy and Nick share their personal reflections below.
Nick attended with his wife and said:
“This was a truly inspirational course and I have learned so much from a combination of experts and those who live with Parkinson’s Disease. As someone who is only recently diagnosed, I now feel empowered to fight against, and do everything I can to delay, the progression of the disease”.
Another participant, Andy said:
“Not having been on anything like this before I’d no idea what to expect and, it has to be said, I approached the weekend with more than a little trepidation. In the event my fears were unfounded as, from the start, the volunteer organisers and the other participants went out of their way to make everyone feel at ease.
The programme was varied and, it has to be said, quite intensive with a good variety of listening and doing.. I was already convinced that exercise was an essential key to dealing with Parkinson’s but wasn’t aware that the type of exercise could be so significant so the PD Warrior presentation was something of an eye opener. I’d previously encountered Emily at her Huddersfield Parkinson’s choir and her enthusiasm and good humour had even the most reluctant joining in. Similarly, Rachel Wesson soon had us all letting loose our inner John Travoltas and Olivia Newton-Johns. Perhaps the most memorable though was Boxercise as it brought out the (hidden?) competitive streak in some – myself included.
However for all the activities and presentations, brilliant though they were, and huge thanks to the Fighting Fit team for their efforts, what really made a difference was being surrounded by a marvellous group of people who understand Parkinson’s. It was an absolute delight to be with such lovely, compassionate, helpful people. I’m sure that friendships made over the weekend will last. We rarely get such an opportunity so I urge anyone reading this to go on a Fighting Fit programme if you get the chance. You won’t regret it”.
Fighting Fit is an innovative residential weekend programme for younger and working-age people with Parkinson’s that encourages self-awareness and helps each participant to take greater control of their life. The aim is to provide information and sign-posting, to share experiences and discuss the practical and emotional impact of living and working with Parkinson’s.
If you want to find out more, you can either contact us, or sign up to our newsletter which will provide you with updates and news about this exciting opportunity.