SUP Mag UK lo-res free to readers July 2014 lo-res - free to read | Page 67
age groups can be affected. Parkinson’s is a
neurological condition which affects the brain.
The old grey matter is supposed to generate
dopamine but does not make enough. This can
cause a lack of balance, the legs freeze and
stumbling occurs. Most noticeable is the
shaking of arms, hands and legs. Some people
develop a dead pan face – i.e. very little
expression – but the one thing that remains
unaffected is your humour!
Te z
I’ve known Stan for a long time – ever since the wife and I moved to Hayling
Island in 2005. He was one of the first characters that I started seeing
regularly and one of the friendliest. At that time, as he details, his passion
was windsurfing and regularly he’d be at the beach come rain, snow or shine.
A super approachable fellow, I started to notice a change in him and less
and less Stan would be around. Later I came to realise this was in fact due
to his condition (as he puts it). It took a while for doctors to get his
medication sorted out – if it’s not right then this can make you worse, as
he later told me.
Sufferers will probably have had this condition
sometime before being diagnosed. Trauma like
divorce or bereavement can act as a trigger but
this is only a thought train.
Stand up paddling came on the scene a few years later and we were the first
people on the island to embrace the sport. Mainly it was to access and ride
the offshore sand bank waves that Hayling is now known for.
So, as I was saying, having a sport which you love
certainly helps. Not only a good level of fitness
but also the social aspect combats the symptoms
– how many people do you meet at a football
match and retain their friendship? With our sport
you meet hundreds on the beach and become
long time and true friends.
Although a good many pooh poohed it as a fad, soon enough I started
seeing Stan at the beach again – this time with a paddle in hand. SUP had
served to rejuvenate his water time and gave him a reinvigorated
enthusiasm for getting afloat.
One thing that shines through with Stan is his refusal to give up. He simply
won’t lie down and stop. SUP’s diversity and opportunity for attaching a
windsurfing rig only served to stoke Stan’s salty fires further. Windsup allows
each movement to be slowed right down – giving him time to complete
moves and enjoy a fulfilling session on the water.
This winter has been exceptional, the rough
weather reshaped the Hayling sand bank. In fact
the storms totally reshaped some of the beach
huts – into matchsticks! Now waves sweep right
across the bay giving some superb long rides.
It’s now not uncommon to see Stan back out on moderately windy days
as well as during calmer periods when he uses a paddle. Back to more or
less the same levels of brine time as when I first met the chap, his passion
and enthusiasm still shine bright. Stan’s an example of how w e shouldn’t
let our circumstances dictate our fate – where there’s a will, there’s a
way and all that.
There is no reason why people with this
condition (sounds better than disease) should
shy away from SUP. It’s more likely that old age
will get you first – at 63 I have no intention of
giving up just yet.
In an effort to raise awareness for the big P, Stan recently organised
a low key event – Paddle for Parkinson’s. By the time you read this a
bunch of sweepers will have raised a swag of dough for continued
research into the affliction. This once again highlights how Mr
Wheeler just won’t give up and tries his hardest to give
something back via the sport(s) he loves.
Parkinson’s has no known cure at this time
but don’t despair if you are diagnosed –
life doesn’t have to stop and work
continues to find that elusive cure.
In the meantime I am off to get a fix
on the Whopper, in the sun and on
the waves.
Stan continues to enjoy his time afloat and I’m sure he’ll be
out on the Hayling SUPer bank for many
more years to come.
Information
For more information
about Parkinson’s Disease
head over to
www.parkinsons.org.uk
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