Marathon Parkinson’s charity cyclist is one determined Guy

Later this month, military officer Guy Deacon will set off on a gruelling 500-mile cycle challenge round the north coast of Scotland.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th May 2019, 06:00 BST
Guy says he's a bit nervous, but is ready to take on the challengeGuy says he's a bit nervous, but is ready to take on the challenge
Guy says he's a bit nervous, but is ready to take on the challenge

Guy, a senior officer in the Royal Armoured Corps who lives in Edinburgh, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011.

He is undertaking the gruelling trek to raise money for The Cure Parkinson’s Trust (CPT), a charity dedicated to finding a cure for the condition.

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Guy will take on the iconic North Coast 500, a route famous for its spectacular views which is popular with both motorists and cyclists alike. Beginning and ending in Inverness, Guy will take on some of Scotland’s most northerly coastal roads, passing through Applecross, Ullapool, Durness and John O’Groats. This challenge is a test of endurance for the most seasoned of cyclists.

While determined to raise funds and awareness Guy admits a twinge of nerves over his mission, Guy said: “I understand that cycling is very good for Parkinson’s, presumably because it helps with balancing and fine motor and muscle movement. However, because my balance is not very good cycling is a little bit daunting for me. Both cycling on busy roads with traffic and quiet roads with fast cars that appear from nowhere makes me rather nervous.”

Guy was commissioned into the Queen’s Dragoon Guards and is now the senior Royal Armoured Corps officer with headquarters at Bovingdon. He has been living with Parkinson’s for the last eight years, having been diagnosed on returning from a year in the Congo.

“I have been declining steadily since but still have a full-time job,” said Guy. “The Cure Parkinson’s Trust is my chosen charity because it is genuinely trying to find a cure, which we need very badly. A cure is just around the corner and I’m trying to help get there.”

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CPT is hugely grateful to Guy for taking on this incredible challenge and Deputy CEO Helen Matthews said: “Fundraising support is absolutely critical for the charity to enable us to achieve our goal. We aim to cure Parkinson’s and the only way we will do this is through the help of all our supporters – it’s as simple as that.”

Around 145,000 people in the UK are living with Parkinson’s, and it is predicted that 1 in 37 people will receive a diagnosis of Parkinson’s in their lifetime. CPT funds innovative research which is dedicated to finding new treatments that can slow, stop or reverse Parkinson’s.

Guy’s fundraising page can be found here: http://www.justgiving.com/Guy-Deacon5

The CPT has one bold aim – to cure Parkinson’s. The neurological disorder characterised by tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement and balance problems. Some of the side effects of the medication are as troubling as the condition itself. CPT is focused on finding new treatments to slow, stop and reverse the disease.

Related topics:ScotlandEdinburgh