Sean prepares for biggest climb

A LOCAL sports administrator will aim to conquer his biggest challenge to date, following a recent medical diagnosis that has reshaped his view on life.

Geelong resident and AFL Barwon operations manager Sean Atkinson was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in January this year during what seemed like a routine check-up.

Mr Atkinson said there was no family history for him of Parkinson’s disease, which made the diagnosis come as a shock.

“At first it was just a bit of shoulder pain, a bit of weakness down my right side, and just assumed it was just of soreness, so I had a cortisone shot in 2021 but it didn’t really make a difference,” Mr Atkinson said.

“I went to an orthopaedic surgeon in September last year to get my shoulder fixed because I had a tear in my quadrangular space, which is quite rare, and just assumed that was what it was.

“I saw another surgeon who said it might’ve been neurologically based, so I saw two neurologists who thought the same thing, and then when I saw a third one at Deakin we were just talking about footy, it was just a regular conversation.

“He then turned to me to tell me I had a healthy brain, but also that I had early-onset Parkinson’s.”

It came as a shock to Mr Atkinson, and it made the 36-year-old think forward to the future, and how he can tackle the progressive disorder.

Mr Atkinson says he is trying to remain positive about how he is addressing his diagnosis, which led him to announce his upcoming challenge – climbing to Mt Everest’s base camp with one of his best mates.

“Luke Daffy is one of my closest friends, we’ve known each other for 25 years now, we played in Under 12’s cricket at Highton and went through school together as well,” Mr Atkinson said.

“We went to the states together a couple years ago, and it was actually his idea recently to go to Mount Everest, to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s disease.

“Neither of us have any hiking experience, but we know it’s going to be a challenge for both of us and that’s the core reason for us doing the climb in January next year.”

Mr Atkinson says the support he has received since announcing his diagnosis has been huge.

“It’s really interesting when you post something serious about your life, so many people have donated to my fundraising page,” Mr Atkinson said.

“Many of which I didn’t expect to receive donations from, it’s been a little bit overwhelming and I’m just extremely grateful for the support.

“The empathy and sympathy that’s been shown by people reaching out has been extraordinary and it’s inspiring me to push on.”

More than $6,000 of Mr Atkinson’s $10,000 fundraising goal has been raised for the Shake It Up Australia Foundation.

To donate, head to Shake It Up Australia’s fundraising page and search ‘Sean Atkinson’.