A 65-year-old Brit with Parkinson's is not letting the disease stop him from some pretty incredible feats – his latest challenge being a 970-mile run between London and Barcelona.
Neil Russell, from Gloucestershire, is hoping to complete the challenge by the end of June, in time for the opening of the World Parkinson's Congress in the Spanish hotspot.
He's been hailed as an "inspiration" by broadcaster Jeremy Paxman, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2021.
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The former Newsnight host said: "I wish Neil all the very best on his incredible run to Barcelona. People like Neil are an inspiration and he shows that having Parkinson’s need not be a barrier in life.
"Neil’s journey will raise awareness of Parkinson’s as he heads to this important congress in Barcelona aimed at tackling the condition."
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He admitted that his neurologist called him "bonkers" for taking on the endeavour, but gave him the all-clear to go for it.
He said: "My neurologist has said from a Parkinson’s point of view, there’s no reason not to do what I’m doing.
"He thinks I’m bonkers for doing it but the closer we get to the start, his interest in the project is significantly greater because he realises that this will help to build awareness of Parkinson’s in the wider world – and hopefully generate some money to plough back into research into finding a cure.
"He’s always said that physical exercise – and the more energetic the exercise – the better the benefits for managing Parkinson’s."
Neil will be running around 28 miles a day, even during those hot weather days in France and Spain.
He'll be joined by experienced cyclist Katie Miller, while his wife Nicky and their seven-year-old dog Oscar, who are travelling in the family camper van.
Training has involved running an epic 1,000 miles during the last six months, as well as undergoing serious physiological testing at the University of Surrey, where he discovered that his resting heart rate was just 39 beats a minute and his lung capacity was – in his own words – "off the scale".
It's not the first time he's taken on an impressive challenge. Two years ago, he completed the 900-mile journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End, despite having a broken bone in his right ankle for the majority of the journey.
This time, he's feeling more prepared, explaining: "We think we’ve covered all the aspects of this challenge that perhaps we didn’t during the Land’s End to John O’Groats run."
Neil’s run is supported by Parkinson’s UK and Cure Parkinson’s and sponsored by Imagine Cruising. His fundraising target is £50,000.
You can find out more about the challenge and sponsor Neil at neilstillcan.run.
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