Little Victories Ride

Berlin, Brandenburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Hannover, September 2022

My friend Jörg, Parki-Buddy and founder of the Parkinson Foundation YUVEDO, had invited me to participate in a charity event consisting in a 6-day bicycle ride from Berlin to Brussels to gain awareness and attention on the neurodegenerative disease of Parkinson‘s. The relatively large group departing on a sunny Sunday noon in front of the Olympic stadium were a mixed bunch of Parkis, relatives of Parkis and young and sporty volunteers. Easy to spot in the Hertha BSC football fan crowd, which gathered waiting for the match to begin. I was lent an E-Bike, sponsored by Stadler, and received a cycling jacket to look like all the rest, wearing the letters YUVEDO-Little Victories Ride 2022 and sponsors on it. We started riding towards Potsdam and, although the roads were highly frequented with Sunday traffic, I really enjoyed cycling through the lush and green woods, passing by the million lakes filled with sailing boats and crossing the mythical bridge of spy exchange during cold war: Glienicker Brücke. Yes, at the end I am a real german Berlin girl!

After a stop in the center of Potsdam we drove all along the Brandenburg country side through little villages until we stopped in one of them to spend the night at. I had a swim in the nearby lake just before the sun disappeared behind the trees and was so happy I did not have to throw up due to the bittersweet pill. Although the conversation I listened to about the Third Reich from the local lake visitors next to me walking their dogs, gave a full reason to do so.

My Parki compatriots were absolutely amazing and we made a good team together. They took care of the non-cyclists like me, who were not used to cycling distances of 100 km per day, driving through this beautiful country side of wild and eastern Germany. Besides using asphalt roads, we sometimes crossed the land on sandy tracks through the woods and the racing bikes had to be pushed as they were not able to be driven on sand. We stopped in little villages with cobble stone roads that looked like 200 years ago and admired the Alpakas or had a chat with the locals collecting elderberries.

In one of the villages, we were received by the mayor for a photo shoot and some snacks. But the important event was the welcoming reception at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Magdeburg, where scientists gave us a private presentation of the latest results in research. It was very interesting and comforting to know that there is a chance to reduce the medication consumption to avoid all these side effects. But when we found out about the astonishing fact that this current trial is on hold because the national health care administration has not reacted to the demand of funds since over 18 months we got upset. Jörg stood up and spoke out loud to call the minister of health Karl Lauterbach right away, who is the foundation’s patron. Because clock is ticking like hell for us Parkies while bureaucracy is asleep. We are so willing to be ginea pigs for science and nothing is happening!

The day ended in a Hotel in Hannover, where I left the group after dinner, hopping on the last train back to Berlin. I needed to work next day and fly back to Formentera.

Thank you so much, my Parki Buddies, for this wonderful group experience and sorry I left without saying good bye, sneaking out of the dining room to get a taxi to the central station. I am just too used to the lonely wolf life in terms of Parkinson. Have a wonderful ongoing trip to Brussels!