by Susan Fullerton
Last Saturday, I biked almost sixty kilometers from Carleton Place to Ottawa as part of a large group of cyclists riding the final leg of the Spinning Wheels Relay to end Parkinson’s (2024). In Ottawa, we gathered with our supporters (including my brother Jeff who acted as chauffeur par excellence for the day) and walked to Parliament Hill, for a celebration around the Centennial Flame. I was proud to be asked to speak and spoke briefly on my experience as part of the East Coast team.
The Relay was a modification of the Spinning Wheels Tour 2022, which involved three cyclists living with Parkinson’s (Mike, Jim, and Steve) riding across Canada, supported primarily by Mike’s intrepid spouse Darlene. This grassroots ride gathered steam as it went from Victoria to St. John’s, with other people living with Parkinson’s and supporters joining them along the way. I followed their progress and thought it was amazing how they were able to touch the lives of the people that they met throughout the country. I loved their message of hope and encouragement, showing first-hand that exercise and community can make a significant difference in how one lives with Parkinson’s.
As a result, when they announced that the plan this year was to have teams of people with Parkinson’s ride from coast to coast to coast with a final ride on the Hill, I volunteered to be part of the East Coast team riding in my home province of Nova Scotia. I was nervous about the biking given the expectation was an average daily ride of 100 kilometres. This was significant for me, even on an e-bike, because of my limited training, but also because I haven’t ridden outside much since I broke my tibia in a bike accident in October 2020.
In deciding to participate I thought of a statement I heard Steve say years ago. “Know your limits, but don’t let fear be one of them.” I knew that the relay team had a support vehicle and that everyone on the team was committed to helping each other finish the ride. As a result, I decided that my collection of fears (of failure, falling, embarrassment of riding an e-bike, etc.) would not be the definitive factor in my decision. Once decided, I went all in and even created a modest fundraiser in which my friends paid to guess how many kilometres I would ride in total. Although my time riding with the East Coast team was shorter than expected, I’m proud of my efforts.
At times, I can let the fear of my future living with a degenerative debilitating disease overwhelm me. Fear can cloud my judgement, and I can miss seeing a solution in front of me. Perhaps more insidiously, fear may prevent me from taking an action that has a direct positive impact on my illness.
I was reminded after Saturday’s ride that my bike battery has a range of 30 to 70 kilometers. It turned out my battery died close to the end of the ride, but I knew I’d be fine. I have learned over the last two months participating in the Relay that it helps me to focus on what my body can do, not what it can’t. I pushed myself and finished the ride on my own steam. If I had thought about the battery limits before the ride, I might have let the fear of not being able to finish the ride be determinative. That would have been a tremendous personal loss. It was an amazing day filled with laughter and tears, and it was important for me to participate in the final group ride celebrating the Relay’s success. The key for me is to focus on the positive that is the power of exercise and community support. That is my goal now and in the future.
Susan spent thirty + years as a government lawyer. She has a myriad of health issues including Parkinson’s, and currently focuses her time on managing her physical and mental health.
