Retiree with Parkinson’s recruiting a team of fellow Parky’s and supporters for epic wheelbarrow race

A Cairns man with Parkinson’s disease hasn’t let it stop him from doing what he loves. Now, he’s inviting fellow ‘Parky’s’ and supporters to join him in an epic 140km race.

A Parkinson’s disease diagnosis a decade ago hasn’t stopped Brian White from taking on a 140km relay at the age of 83.

Mr White is getting a social team together for the Great Wheelbarrow Race to raise funds for the Neurology Department at the Cairns Hospital through the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation (FNQHF).

He wants other people with the disease and their supporters to join him in the 140km relay race from Mareeba to Chillagoe, and help break the stigma surrounding the condition.

Brian and wife Royale Thompson. Picture: Supplied

“What I’m hoping to achieve is to show people that you can go out and let it be known you’ve got Parkinson’s and talk about it,” Mr White said.

“Talking to people with Parkinson’s, so many people out there who just sort of seem ashamed.

“Fortunately, I didn’t have the tremor, which is pretty common. But I didn’t speak about it for a few years after I got it.

“Exercise is the most important thing (with Parkinson’s). It’s a progressive disease and unless you exercise, you go downhill.”

Exercise has always been an important part of Mr White’s life.

Throughout his 30 year career as a marine lawyer in Cairns, he regularly cycled from his home in the northern beaches to his office in the CBD.

He has also completed the 333km Cardiac Challenge cycle from Cairns to Cooktown a staggering 14 times.

Mr White riding into Cooktown at the end of the Cardiac Challenge bike ride in 2022. Picture: Supplied

But in 2009, he was struck by a car on his ride to work, leaving him with a fractured skull and 17 other fractures.

“I T-boned (the car). My head went through the pillar, between the front and rear windows,” Mr White said.

“One cheekbone was crushed, my jaw and collarbone were broken. I had four operations and my jaw was wired up for six months.”

Amazingly, he was back on his bike in a month.

Just a few years after, in 2014, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

It hasn’t stopped him, though.

Since retiring in 2018, Mr White has regularly volunteered with Orange Sky, a mobile laundry service for those experiencing homelessness.

He has also been a rotarian with Cairns Sunrise for 40 years. In the past few years, he has travelled to India four times with the club to volunteer on water conservation projects.

Enjoying a buffalo milk breakfast in Rajasthan before resuming work on a water conservation project with the Rotary Club. Picture: Supplied

When he’s at home, Mr White does rehab classes at the Cairns Hospital, where he regularly meets others with Parkinson’s and speaks to neurology staff.

These interactions, he said, alongside the growing public interest in Parkinson’s as the “fastest growing neurological disorder in the world,” influenced his decision to fundraise for the hospital’s Neurology Department through the FNQHF.

“I’m just excited about what we’re doing with Hospital Foundation’s support. It’s giving me a purpose at the moment and I’m thrilled to be able to make a difference and help others,” Mr White said.

Mr White (in grey) completing the Brisbane ParkRun in 2024. Picture: Supplied

Glenys Duncombe, the FNQHF’s fundraising and marketing manager, praised Mr White’s determination.

“Brian’s not sitting around waiting for his condition to deteriorate,” she said.

“He’s making a difference to others, he’s got a purpose and I think it should be applauded. We need more people like Brian.”

To join Mr White’s ‘Downunder Movers and Shakers’ team for the Great Wheelbarrow Race, phone [phone].

To donate to Mr White’s fundraiser click here.

Originally published as Retiree with Parkinson’s recruiting a team of fellow Parky’s and supporters for epic wheelbarrow race