Bolton resident completes grueling Parkinson’s UK challenge

Losing a family member is hard for anyone, and when you lose them to an incurable disease, the pain is greater than ever. These were the circumstances for Joshua Polding, 30, of Bromley Cross, Bolton to undertake a remarkable challenge for his late uncle.

Following the death of his beloved uncle Terry, aged 77, on January 17, Terence Tuckwood decided to take on a physically demanding challenge in his uncle’s honour.

Joshua set out to play 72 holes of golf in one day to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s UK on June 24.

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Having raised more than £2,200 so far, he spoke of the importance of the challenge, said: “My uncle meant so much to me. Completing this challenge in his honor was my way of turning loss into action and supporting a cause that is crucial to so many families, including my own.”

Accompanied by his dad and six friends from his golf club, Josh navigated his way around Turton Golf Club paying tribute to his late uncle.

With the challenge of seeing Joshua run over 20 miles and burn 6,000 active calories in the estimated 14-hour window, he continued to push through the pain and fatigue.

Suffering over the distance, Joshua spoke of his determination to finish, he said: “It was hard but knowing I was making a difference kept me going. The support from my community and loved ones was incredible and fueled my determination to complete all 72 holes.”

With Joshua also losing his grandfather Bill to Parkinson’s in 2005 at the age of 77, he felt it was only right to make a personal effort through his passion for golf.

“I trained hard and stayed focused on the goal. Every step and every hole completed was a tribute to my uncle’s memory and a step towards supporting Parkinson’s UK,” he continued.

With around 153,000 people already living with Parkinson’s in the UK, it has become the fastest growing neurological condition in the world.

And with no cure, it has become essential that fundraisers like Joshua’s are completed to fund promising treatments – the charity golfer plans to continue to campaign for Parkinson’s UK and raise awareness for the cause.

With the fundraiser going to Parkinson’s UK, which provides support to all those affected by the disease, David Steele, Community Fundraiser for the North West and Isle of Man at Parkinson’s UK, paid tribute to Joshua’s extraordinary effort.

He said: “We applaud Joshua for his dedication and outstanding achievements.

“We hope Joshua’s fundraising challenge inspires you to get involved with Parkinson’s UK,” he continued: “With more than 40 potential symptoms, Parkinson’s can devastate lives.

“We’ve made huge progress in the last 50 years, but there’s still no cure and the current treatments aren’t good enough.”

With one in 37 people living in the UK affected by Parkinson’s, David went on to talk about how anyone can get involved to end the incurable disease: “There are lots of ways to get involved and you support us – by volunteering. at an event, at the campaign for better services.

“Without the generosity of people like you, our work would not be possible.”

More donations can be made to Joshua’s fundraising and Parkinson’s UK via the link here.