In the sport of rock climbing there is a call and response that indicates the initiation of movement when scaling a rock wall. The call “Climbing” and anticipated response of “Climb on” is exchanged between a climber and the belayer (the climber’s anchor and support person). Today I want to introduce you to someone who is a Parkinson’s disease (PD) advocate and is literally and figuratively providing the support PD climbers require.

April is Parkinson’s disease Awareness Month! During this month The Parkinson’s Report (TPR) is taking a time out from the regularly scheduled blog posts to highlight people and programs that are making a difference in the PD community. Advocacy for PD begins with educating ourselves about how to make a difference in the wake of a chronic and progressive disease. Educating ourselves is a worthwhile venture but it is the next step that is vital. Promoting improvement, critical thinking, and unity for the purpose of bettering the lives of those living with PD happens when we share our knowledge. This month we will learn together and get the opportunity to borrow some inspiration from the movers and the shakers.

PD Awareness Month Spotlight:

I am excited to introduce you to Molly Donelan. I met Molly at the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area (PFNCA) Symposium in 2017. We were seated at the same table for lunch and started chatting about our connection to PD. Although this particular table was primarily made up of rehabilitation therapists, Molly was different.

Molly is an avid rock climber and is the Director of Programs and Events at Sportrock Climbing Center in Alexandria, VA. In October of 2012 Molly met her first client with PD and she began to learn about the disease through this friendship. Feeling impacted by her friend’s story, she realized she could have a positive influence on the way the disease affected him and others. She started a rock climbing class dedicated to people with Parkinson’s. In collaboration with PFNCA, Molly provides a FREE rock climbing class for PFNCA members every Friday from 10am-11am at the Alexandria location. Check out the most recent video of the committed group that climb:

With the support of Sportrock and PFNCA, Molly has created a space for people with PD to create camaraderie, challenge their strength and coordination, and reach personal and physical goals. If you would like to know more about this program or would like to get in touch with Molly directly, see the links below.

• Molly wrote a blog in 2017 providing more details about how the group was started. You can email her directly by selecting the email icon on this website.
• Sportrock outlines their passion for giving back to the community and specifically highlight the PFNCA climbing group.
• Becoming a member of PFNCA is fast and easy (membership fee is only $30/year). To join and participate in their programs go here.

Do you have a specific person, resource, or program that inspires you? Educate us and share below in the comments!