Ain't no mountain high enough?

"Your challenge is to trek steep, rocky terrain over 3 days, to reach the summit of Mount Toubkal, at a height of 4,167m."

Oh man. 

For those who know me well (or indeed, at all), you'll know that sports (and when I say sports I'm talking any sort of physical activity) are not really my thing. To tell you the truth, I spent most of my Sixth form PE sessions eating a cookie in the squash courts.

... and now I'm going to trek up a mountain that 4,167m! 

I was trying to envisage how high that actually is, which proved difficult. As well as sports not really being my forte...neither is maths. Apparently 4,167m is about 2.6 miles...upwards. And by my calculations (or Googles) , that's pretty high! 

Mt Toubkal. SUCH A BIG MOUNTAIN. 

But this means a lot more than just climbing a mountain. (It's got to...I wouldn't just be climbing a mountain for fun! ). In August 2009, my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's.  As a result, it is  something that it now very prevalent in mine and my family's life, and as they mean such an immense amount to me, this is something I would like to do for them, and particularly for my Dad, as well as others I know who suffer with Parkinson's disease. 

I love my Dad a lot, and I'm really proud of the way that he's coping with this. Despite the fact that we have nicknamed him 'the shuffler', he still manages to run his own business, work 5 days a week and have dinner on the table at the end of the day! (Though due to slightly shorter working days, a small baking obsession has ensued and we now slowly have a small mountain of scones building up on the kitchen table!). He is a strong man, and can still open the lids of jars when I can't, he can still overpower me in a tickling match and though yes, he is slower, and yes, he has a tremor, he is still, and will always be my Dad. 

Where did I get my craziness from? Look no further. 

I love my Papi. 

I am taller...Mwahahaha. 

Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurological condition. People with Parkinson's don't have enough of a chemical called dopamine, which means that some of the nerve cells in their brain will die. If you put this in everyday terms (which is much easier than all this science language!), this means that normal movements that seem like second nature to you and I, become increasingly more difficult. Putting on a sock. Buttering a piece of toast. Walking. Everything gets slower and much more arduous.  The thing that is so vicious about Parkinson's is that it's not a lifestyle disease. It's not hereditary. You can't catch it. It's just random. You can't do anything about not getting it, and once you have it, you can't do anything to get rid of it. And at the moment, Parkinson's has no cure. The money that I hope to raise through doing this trek will go towards vital research that will help to find one. Not only this, but through this, I really hope to raise awareness of Parkinson's. Too few people seem to know and understand the symptoms of Parkinson's. In a recent survey, it was shown that because it is so poorly understood, many people who have it are often on the receiving end of worried and uncomfortable looks due to clearly identifiable symptoms, such as a tremor or shuffling walk. 

Part of a recent campaign in Parkinson's Awareness Month

I need to raise £975  to do the trek itself (which will hopefully be done through a series of bake sales, acoustic nights, concerts and various other exciting things!), but on top of that, I'd really like to raise £1000 for Parkinson's UK. I've set up a JustGiving Page (www.justgiving.com/Alex-Browne1 ) where it would be amazing and would mean a lot if you could donate something, as money given there goes directly to the Parkinson's UK Charity. 

So, let the intensive (*ahmen*) training routine begin!