Torquay local gets moving for Parkinson’s research

Torquay’s Mark vanHamond is in training to take on the Sydney Marathon this September to help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

Mr vanHamond has partnered with Shake It Up Australia to raise $38,000, representing the 38 Australians diagnosed with the disease every day.

To get the fundraising efforts off to a running start, local disability support company eQuality Support has put in a donation of $10,000.

Inspired by his father Hans’ battle with the disease, Mr vanHamond is on a mission to raise awareness and funds to support Parkinson’s research and treatment.

Mr vanHamond, who founded eQuality Support, said Parkinson’s could affect everyone.

“Over 10 million people worldwide and 150,000 Australians are directly impacted by Parkinson’s, not to mention their friends and family,” he said.

“I’m running for Parkinson’s because I want to make a difference and I want to inspire the community too. I believe that as a community we can do more together.

Each April is World Parkinson’s Awareness Month, with the focus in 2023 to identify lesser-known early warning signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s.

“It’s important to raise awareness for Parkinson’s disease because it can start out as something small or something that could be glanced over,” Mr vanHamond said.

“If I can encourage the community to look out for these signs or share their own story of Parkinson’s, I’d be really happy.”

Common symptoms of Parkinson’s include tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and co-ordination.

Uncommon symptoms can include smaller handwriting, a loss of smell, a change in voice volume, and difficulty sleeping.

Shake It Up Australia chief executive officer Vicki Miller said more progress than ever was being made in the field of Parkinson’s research.

“We know that a world without Parkinson’s is in our reach, but we need to support the ground-breaking work being done to get us there.

“In partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, we fund only the world’s most cutting-edge research projects, and we’re proud that 100 per cent of the donations we receive go directly to research.

“Community fundraising is vital for us to achieve our mission.

“We are extremely appreciative of the effort of fundraiserssuch as Mark vanHamond and the team at eQuality Support, to raise much-needed funds and awareness within the Australian community.

“Every donation helps us to get closer to our goal of finding a cure – and everyone can be part of changing the future.”

The Sydney Marathon, which takes place on September 17, is one of Australia’s premier running events, attracting thousands of participants from around the world.

Mr vanHamond’s fundraising page can be found at sm23.grassrootz.com/shakeitup/mark-vanhamond