More than 50 cyclists, many of whom live with Parkinson’s disease (PD), or care for someone with PD, will cycle to Barcelona from across Europe to attend the 6th World Parkinson Congress.

BNY, New York/ Barcelona, Spain, June 14, 2023 – The World Parkinson Coalition (WPC), together with Parkinson advocates from Europe, the USA, and Australia announces the launch of the Tour de Parkinson ~ Bike to Barcelona program. More than 50 cyclists, both living with and caring for people with Parkinson’s, will cycle from three European locations – Brighton, UK, Valencia, Spain, and Ventimiglia, Italy to reach the city of Barcelona in time to attend the 6th World Parkinson Congress from July 4-7, 2023. On their way, the three teams will travel a combined 3,000 km to reach their destination.


“Parkinson’s disease is one of the fastest growing neurological disorders but evidence shows that exercise has a profound impact on the well-being of people with Parkinson’s and that it may slow the progress of the disease,” said Elizabeth "Eli" Pollard, Executive Director of World Parkinson Coalition. “PD is complicated and often misunderstood, so having 50 cyclists, sixty percent of whom are living with PD, cycling anywhere from 600 to 1800 km to reach Barcelona will hopefully change how people see Parkinson’s and will help others understand that Parkinson’s can be managed and should not stop people from living well and thriving in life.”

Three Bike to Barcelona teams will travel a combined nearly 3,000 km to reach Barcelona.

The team departing from Brighton, UK comprises 20 members representing five countries. They have been training for the past year. Nine of the 20 cyclists are living with PD.
Lead organizer, Alison Anderson, WPC Ambassador, launched this initiative to raise awareness of Parkinson’s. “As someone who lives with Parkinson’s, exercise is so important to my wellbeing and engaging with the Parkinson’s community inspires and motivates me to keep exercising. This challenge focusses the spotlight on the importance of exercise in managing Parkinson’s and demonstrates the support, sense of adventure and inspiration that can be found within the Parkinson’s community. If we inspire others to exercise more and engage with their local communities that would be fantastic."

The team departing from Valencia, Spain comprises 12 members representing three countries. eight of the cyclists are living with PD. Team lead, Enara Herran, is cycling with her father who lives with Parkinson’s. “The members of this great team aim to give visibility to early onset Parkinson's disease (a diagnosis shared by most of the team members), and to raise awareness of PD and highlight the importance of physical exercise in general and cycling in particular for people with this disease.”

The team departing from Ventimiglia, Italy, comprises 14 members representing two countries. They have been training for years as a cycling group, so this trip to Barcelona for the WPC 2023 seemed like a natural fit for them. Twelve of the cyclists are living with Parkinson’s and two are caregivers. Team lead, Marco Ramelli, is eager to attend the WPC 2023.  “We haven’t attended the World Parkinson Congress before so we are all excited about the trip and attending the Congress and looking forward to training our bodies and our minds.”  

The Bike to Barcelona program will culminate in a PD Awareness event and celebration in front of the International Convention Center of Barcelona at Plaça de Willy Brandt, 11-14, 08019 Barcelona. Hosted by the Associació Catalana per al Parkinson (Catalan Parkinson Association), the awareness-raising event will open at 12:00 PM CET, Cyclists will arrive at 5:00 PM and the event will close 7:00 PM. Residents of Barcelona are invited to come by, learn about Parkinson’s, and welcome the cyclists to the city after their long journeys.

Bike to Barcelona was made possible with support from Gold sponsors: ESTEVE, Charco Neurotech and Abbvie; Silver sponsor: Davis Phinney Foundation, and Bronze sponsors: Supernus, Reftec, Rock Steady Boxing, CoFounder Management AS  , Rune Labs, Boston Scientific, Vestfold Parkinson Forening, Orbit Health, Parkinson and Sport, Cure Parkinson Trust, Bial, Barcelona Turisme Convention Bureau, Associació Catalana per al Parkinson, and the World Parkinson Coalition.


About the World Parkinson Coalition® and WPC 2023
The World Parkinson Coalition Inc provides an international forum for learning about the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices, caregiver initiatives and advocacy work related to Parkinson's disease. The triennial World Parkinson Congresses provide a space for the global Parkinson’s community of researchers, clinicians, health care professionals, people with Parkinson’s and their care partners to meet in person, network, and discuss advances in Parkinson’s research, improve understanding and promote advocacy worldwide, while influencing future research and care options. The WPC 2023 will attract more than 4,000 delegates.

About Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is affecting more than 10 million people worldwide and is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease on the planet. While PD is characterized by limited functional ability, a variety of nonmotor and motor symptoms significantly impact the quality of life of both people living with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners. This can include resting tremor, muscle rigidity, paid, fatigue, anxiety and depression.

About Associació Catalana per al Parkinson
Associació Catalana per al Parkinson (The Catalan Association for Parkinson's) is a non-profit organization born in 1985 in Barcelona. It was the first association of patients with Parkinson's disease in Spain. Since then, the organization has been working to provide care and advice to people affected by Parkinson's disease and their families. In 1997, it was declared a public utility by the Spanish government, and in 2020, it received a distinction from the Catalan Society of Neurology for its neurorehabilitative work and social awareness. Based in different towns in Catalonia, it provides rehabilitation therapies, social care, home care, and health education.