72 Holes. 24 Hours. 9 Years with Parkinson’s.

My name is Garen Williams, and I am the Co-Founder and Director of Sport Parkinson’s. On Friday 13 January 2017, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

That date has stayed with me ever since. It is one of those dates that stays with you, not because you want it to, but because life quietly divides itself into two parts: before diagnosis and after diagnosis.

At the time, I had no idea what the years ahead would look like. I did not know how Parkinson’s would affect my movement, my confidence, my energy, my sleep, my emotions, or the simple everyday things that most people never have to think about. I certainly did not know that, nine years later, I would be preparing to take on one of my biggest personal challenges yet: playing 72 holes of golf in 12 hours to raise sponsorship and awareness for Sport Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s is often misunderstood.

People see the tremor, the stiffness, the slowness, or the visible symptoms, but they do not always see the constant management that sits underneath. Medication timing. Wearing off. Waiting for tablets to work. Trying to move when your body has other ideas. Fighting fatigue. Managing balance, anxiety, stiffness, and the unpredictable nature of each day. That unpredictability is one of the hardest parts

There are times when I feel almost normal.

There are other times when the simplest movement takes concentration and effort. Some days I can play sport, walk onto a pitch, swing a golf club, and feel strong. On other days, I can feel slow, heavy, tight, or completely out of rhythm. But over the years, one thing has become very clear to me: movement matters.

Sport has played a huge part in my Parkinson’s journey. It has given me structure, purpose, friendship, confidence, and a reason to keep pushing forward. Through football, walking football, table tennis, golf, and exercise, I have seen first-hand how powerful sport can be for people living with Parkinson’s.

That belief is one of the reasons Sport Parkinson’s exists.

Sport Parkinson’s is not just about competition. It is about opportunity. It is about helping people with Parkinson’s stay active, connected, and involved. It is about showing people that a diagnosis does not mean the end of ambition, challenge, friendship, or achievement.

For me personally, golf has become a huge part of that journey.

I only started playing golf around two years ago. Like many things with Parkinson’s, it was not always easy. Golf demands balance, coordination, timing, concentration, and patience, all things Parkinson’s can interfere with. Some shots feel natural, others feel like my body and brain are having two completely different conversations. But golf has also given me something powerful. It has helped my movement. It has helped my stride. It has helped my balance. It has given me a new challenge at a time in my life when I could easily have stepped back instead of stepping forward. More than anything, it has reminded me that improvement is still possible.

That is why this challenge means so much to me.

Playing 72 holes of golf is a serious test for anyone. For me, it is also a Parkinson’s test. It will test my stamina, my movement, my balance, my concentration, and my ability to manage medication across the day. It will test how well I can keep going when my body starts to tire, when my timing changes, when my tablets wear off, or when Parkinson’s decides to make things difficult. But that is exactly the point.

This challenge is not about pretending Parkinson’s is not there. It is about showing that it does not get the final say.

Nine years after diagnosis, I am still here. Still active. Still competing. Still challenging myself. Still trying to show others with Parkinson’s that there is life, purpose, friendship, and possibility after diagnosis. I am doing this to raise sponsorship for Sport Parkinson’s, but also to raise awareness of what people with Parkinson’s are capable of when they are given the chance, the support, and the belief that they still belong in sport. Because we do. Whether it is football, golf, cycling, running, walking, table tennis, swimming, or simply moving more than yesterday, sport has the power to change lives. It gives people confidence. It brings people together. It helps us fight isolation. It gives us a reason to keep going.

That is what Sport Parkinson’s means to me.

It is not just an organisation. It is a community. It is proof that people with Parkinson’s can still dream big, still take on challenges, and still inspire each other. So, as I prepare to take on 72 holes, 12 hours, and nine years with Parkinson’s behind me, I am doing it with one message in mind: Parkinson’s may change the way we move, but it does not take away our right to move forward.

If this challenge inspires one person with Parkinson’s to pick up a club, join a team, go for a walk, try something new, or believe in themselves again, then every hole will be worth it. Thank you to everyone who supports me, sponsors me, and supports the work of Sport Parkinson’s.

Together, we can keep people with Parkinson’s active, connected, and moving forward.

If you would like to support this challenge, please use the link below.