Two years ago, Canberra nurse Hannah Lindsay started running; later this month, she will take part in the gruelling Sydney Marathon, a 42-kilometre challenge, to raise money for research into Parkinson’s disease – a condition that her father and two uncles all have.

Hannah is raising $2,220 for Shake It Up Australia, which funds research aimed at developing better treatments and ultimately finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease. The Sydney Marathon will be her third fundraising race for the foundation.

“Parkinson’s isn’t talked about enough; it’s taken someone close to me being diagnosed to motivate me to do it,” Ms Lindsay said. “But I wish it wasn’t that way. I don’t want people to wait until it’s something that’s personally impacting them. It’d be nice if we could be proactive and fund research. There are treatments available to slow symptoms – but it doesn’t stop forever. I don’t think anyone likes something being out there that doesn’t have a cure.”

Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world. It involves the loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells in a part of the brain that controls movement. Although many people think it involves shakes and tremors, the condition can manifest without them. Symptoms can include slow movement, stiffness, and balance problems. It affects cognition, mobility, speech, swallowing, digestion, mood, sleep, and all five senses. No two people experience Parkinson’s the same way.

Ten to 20 per cent of all people with Parkinson’s experience symptoms before they turn 50 – most famously, actor Michael J. Fox, star of Back to the Future, was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 29.

Ms Lindsay’s father, David, aged 70, was diagnosed three years ago. He is one of nine siblings, and three of the brothers have Parkinson’s. He had always been fit and health-conscious, and remains active: he still runs and cycles; can do push-ups and pull-ups; and enjoys making woodwork and metalwork pieces for the garden.

“He’s still trying his best to keep active,” Ms Lindsay said. “He’s doing a good job, and he just has to do things a little bit slower now.”

Parkinson’s has affected his posture and mobility, and he has to consciously pick up his feet to reduce the risk of falling while running.

Years before his diagnosis, Mr Lindsay lost his sense of smell – a symptom the Lindsays did not associate with Parkinson’s.

“Had we known that could potentially be happening, perhaps he would have had his diagnosis sooner,” Ms Lindsay said.

Ms Lindsay’s connection to Parkinson’s is also professional. While studying nursing at the University of Canberra, she received the $1,500 Alan Richardson Scholarship, awarded to a student interested in the condition. During medical and aged-care placements, she met patients with Parkinson’s; she says her father’s diagnosis gave her a new understanding of what patients could be experiencing.

“Having awareness helps nurses to provide better care.”

The Sydney Marathon will be held on Sunday 30 August. Runners cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge, go through Centennial Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and finish at the Sydney Opera House. It will be Ms Lindsay’s first full marathon, and she says she’s feeling both excited and daunted.

“If you ask my parents, they’ll say I never enjoyed running,” Ms Lindsay said.

A friend persuaded her to join a park run in 2024. She began enjoying small improvements: five kilometres, then seven, 10…

Now, in her day job as a graduate nurse doing shift work, she spends much of the working day on her feet. She runs once or twice during the week; completes a long run on Saturday; then plays hockey on Sunday.

“I ran a half marathon this weekend just past; that was a really big deal to me a few months ago,” Ms Lindsay said. “To see where I am now and just running it casually is a bit mind-blowing to me.”

Ms Lindsay expects the final kilometres of the marathon to be difficult, but says having her parents there to watch would help.

“Doing something genuinely outside my comfort zone gives people something tangible to get behind,” Ms Lindsay said. “I’m not just asking people to donate; I’m taking on a pretty big challenge myself.”

Support Hannah Lindsay’s fundraising here: https://sm26.grassrootz.com/shakeitup/hannah-lindsay

For more information, or to donate, visit: https://shakeitup.org.au/hannah/