Sharon's great strides for Parkinson's

After losing her lovely dad to Parkinson’s in November 2023, Sharon Plunkett decided to challenge herself to run 5k a day every day in December in his memory and raise money for our charity.

Sharon, 58, cared for her dad during the latter stages of his disease, and saw first-hand the impact movement had on his physical symptoms and mental health.

She said: “In the earlier stages of his Parkinson’s, If Dad had been for a game of bowls or a walk, I could just tell before he told me - it lifted his mood and I could see the mental as well as physical effect on him.”

A chance meeting

A chance meeting with one of our trustees, Ali King, at a women’s networking event, prompted Sharon to reach out to Quality In Parkinson’s and offer her support.

Sharon said: “I like a focus and I like a target - so to get me through this time on the run-up to Christmas without Dad, I’m going to run 5k every day from 1st December in Dad’s memory, and end on Christmas Day with the Burnley Parkrun with my family.”

Her first run on Friday 1 December saw temperatures in Lancashire dip to minus 4 - now that’s dedication!

Sharon is an inspiration to us and we are so lucky to have her as a fundraiser.

About Quality In Parkinson’s

We’re a small charity providing funds to enable people with Parkinson’s to access activities - like sports or arts and crafts - which alleviate some of the physical symptoms of the disease and boost mental health and overall wellbeing.

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