Whitehorse, YT – It started with a twitch in his finger. A year later it was most of his arm but he was told not to worry.
Six months later Lloyd Taylor was given some bad news. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Now Taylor is packing for his flight to Whitehorse where he and a team of cyclists will cycle around the North to spread awareness about how life can be lived with Canada’s fastest-growing neurological disease and learn the challenges facing Northerners who live with it day-to-day.
Taylor’s first time cycling was with Rigid Riders, a Toronto-based cycling group for those with Parkinson’s that does annual Spinning Wheels relays. What started as a one-day commitment to ride with the group turned into a three-week journey.
“I have tremors that I just can’t stop and yet, you put me on the bike and I start pedaling, and it all just goes away,” said Taylor. “I feel almost as if I don’t have Parkinson’s at all.”
According to a 2023 study at the University of Guelph, intense, long-duration cycling showed significant improvements in motor symptoms, fatigue, and physical performance.
This year’s Spinning Wheel’s relay to end Parkinson’s will traverse every province and two territories, covering over 10,000 kilometers in a bid to raise awareness and fundraise for Parkinson’s programs across the country.
“People talk about cycling across the country, and it’s always east to west or west to east. Nobody goes north to south,” said Taylor. “If it’s the whole country, then shouldn’t it be all three coasts?”
In late July, the first two teams of riders began their cross-country journey with one starting in Deer Lake, Newfoundland and the other in Victoria, B.C. On August 31st, a third team will arrive in Whitehorse as they cycle throughout the territory and into N.W.T. aiming to learn about the experiences of Northerners with Parkinson’s.
Money raised for the initiative will be given to Parkinson’s programs local to where the money was raised and anyone can donate through the organization’s website. The riders say volunteering or simply showing up to cheer on the riders is also welcome.
Once the relay wraps up, the three teams will meet on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for a celebration on September 28th.
Taylor is now co-chair of the Spinning Wheels Relay and looks forward to riding with the team this year. This time from coast to coast to coast.
“The message is that if you think you have this disease, or you know you have this disease, take action. Letting it rob you of your life is easy. It’s what the disease does to people. But you have to resist that.”
