On Sunday 26 April, members of the Wade-Martins Group from the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre threw themselves into a variety of imaginative challenges for the national 2.6 challenge campaign. The challenge required participants to dream up an activity based around the numbers 2.6 or 26 that suits their skills and complete it on Sunday 26 April – when the 40th London Marathon would have taken place.
The Wade-Martins team's research is dedicated to helping people with Parkinson's (PwP), so they fundraised for Parkinson's UK by undertaking activities such as baking, running, skipping, dog training, climbing stairs, cycling, dancing, kick-ups, burpees and more. Organiser and participant Nora Bengoa-Vergniory said: "We dedicate our lives to finding a cure for this disease, and we are well aware that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic will be felt by many at risk, including many with PwP. We want to do as much as we can in order to help Parkinson's UK with the increase in demand for their services they are facing in these difficult times."
They have managed to beat their target of £1000 for Parkinson's UK - many congratulations to Brent Ryan and his daughter Viola, Bryan Ng, Charmaine Lang, Dayne Beccano-Kelly, Gabriela Vilema Enriquez, Lorraine Dyson and her pet dog Lester, Marta Madureira, Milena Cioroch, Natalie Connor-Robson, Nora Bengoa-Vergniory, Pavandeep Rai, Peter Kilfeather, Phillippa Carling, Stefania Giussani, Sarah Pearce, Naroa Ibarra-aizpurua and Josse Poppinga. See their fantastic efforts below!