Metung’s James Willis, 61, likes to ‘poke fun’ at Parkinson’s Disease through the creation of unusual walking sticks, his own unique way of raising awareness about the disease.
Diagnosed in 2018 with Early Onset Parkinson’s, after seeing his father live with the disease, James’ message this Parkinson’s Awareness Month is to seek support and ‘have a bit of a crack at society’.
A part of James’ support network is the team at Gippsland Lakes Complete Health (GLCH), where he accesses a Parkinson’s specific exercise program called PD Warrior.
When James visits the clinic in Lakes Entrance, either to attend PD Warrior sessions or a social support group called Positive Parkies, he brings a handmade walking stick, changing up which stick he brings each visit.
Created from items he collects from local tips, roadsides and the bush, his creations include walking sticks made from golf clubs, fishing rods and saw handles.
“Parkinson’s creeps up on you, and it can be easy to ask, ‘why me?'” James said.
“But you’ve got to move past that and keep moving forward. I’m concerned about people in the community with Parkinson’s who aren’t accessing these programs.
“You’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t keep moving forward and activating new pathways.”
GLCH is the only provider of PD Warrior east of Melbourne.
Neurological physiologist Harriet Cook says the program is designed for people at any stage of Parkinson’s.
“The earlier we see people, the more impact we can have with exercise,” she said.
Harriet explained that PD Warrior isn’t your typical gym workout.
“We use high-intensity, targeted exercises that focus on big, powerful movements. We also incorporate voice projection to encourage confidence and strength in every action,” she said.
The benefits of this approach are significant, with research showing that high-intensity exercise can slow the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms.
“It’s empowering for people because it gives them back some control over their lives,” Harriet said.
“We’ve seen people return to hobbies like tennis or gardening, enabling them to live their best lives.”
For James, his message is clear: keep moving forward, no matter the circumstances.
“You can’t change your circumstances, but you can change your reaction to them,” he said.
As long as he can keep working in his shed, he’ll continue to create his unique walking sticks, his own personal approach to creating Parkinson’s awareness.
If you or someone you know is living with Parkinson’s, call Gippsland Lakes Complete Health to find out more about the PD Warrior program.
