A Word of Explanation
Explanation? For what? Well, as to why I seem to be using the Bikes Blues & Bayous Facebook page as an outlet to publish my online journal entries. Fair question. As a co-founder of BBB and its current marketing chairman, I do my best to publicize only interesting and relevant info to the thousands of riders that have come to BBB. I feel this bit of info falls into that category, but you be the judge.
2020 MISSISSIPPI JERSEY: Profits go to Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s. Sponsored by PEPSI
Last year, you may recall that BBB donated the profits from jersey sales to the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s (DPF, for short). This year the committee agreed to continue that commitment and thus profits of the MISSiSSIPPI Jersey will go to DPF. Personally, I am very active in furthering DPF. Reason being, as a PWP (Person With Parkinson’s), I’d like to get a message out to everyone who shares this disease and the families that are also affected by it. Parkinson’s is the second most common neurological disorder and unfortunately it is growing faster than ever. It is incurable, progressive and potentially disabling. And, since 1% of the population has PD, quite likely there are at least a dozen BBB participants with the disease. For some it may be undiagnosed, but something they suspect.
Richard with Dr. Jay Alberts at 2019 RAGBRAI in Iowa
My message is that a diagnosis of PD is not a death sentence. As the Davis Phinney Foundation motto goes, “you can live well with with Parkinson’s” and my mission is to actively demonstrate how. Which brings me to cycling. For my treatment, medication is tied for 1st place with cycling. Riding a bicycle at a sufficient level of exertion has been clinically proven to reduce some of the most bothersome PD symptoms, like tremor. In fact, the first neurologist researcher to study and clinically prove it was Dr. Jay Alberts from the Cleveland Clinic. Last year, I had the opportunity to meet him and support his ongoing work in the Parkinson field.
In past years, several BBB riders asked me which events I personally participate in, other than BBB. My answer was usually “none”. But, in 2020, I plan to make up for lost time and go to a lot other rides to further the message about how to lead a healthy lifestyle, which includes a lot of bicycle riding as a prescription to fight PD. My first stop is Monticello, MS for the Red Bluff Gran Fondo this coming weekend on Saturday, 7th of March. The weather will be great, so I hope you will riding there!
Richard Beattie
March 2, 2020
Greenwood, Mississippi
March 7, 2020 RedBluffGranFondo.com
More info: www.dpf.org
