Welcome to Steady On, the “official” blog of Balls to Parkinson’s.
I hope you’ll find this mix of personal reflections entertaining. Always with a little humour, whether I’m looking back at my childhood or forward at the challenges of Parkinson’s to come, I’m glad you’re along for the ride.
If you are wondering where to start, I would recommend Episode IV: A New Normal, which introduces the blog.
— Mark
- London to Brighton or Bust: Part 2 – Putting the Balls into B2P
After battling horizontal rain and the ‘tectonic shifts’ of the Sussex hills, it was time to trade the Lycra for a lager. The Brighton Beach Ball wasn’t just a party; it was a celebration of a summer spent ‘talking balls’ and a team effort that defied every expectation. From damp bear hugs to the legendary ‘man-blubs,’ join me for the second half of the B2P story as we reveal the staggering final total and learn what it truly means to seize life by the balls. - Fish Finger Sandwiches and the End of the World
I remember when the end of the world was a Sunday afternoon staple on ITV. Now, in late 2025, those old Cold War anxieties are back—but can we still count on the ‘cavalry’ to save the day? My latest blog post on nostalgia, geopolitics, and why I’m clinging to my Wi-Fi signal. - Brighton or Bust: Part 1 – My London to Brighton Story
The London to Brighton cycle ride was the finale of a summer filled with fundraising. When we started Balls to Parkinson’s, we set what we thought was an ambitious target of £10,000. By the morning of September 22nd, we had already hit that goal. By the end of the day, we would double it. This is the first part of that story. In these next two posts, I hope to give you a flavor of the camaraderie and the “B2P spirit” that encapsulated the day—and what this milestone meant to me personally. - A Long Walk Down a Short Corridor
While I promise I am not dwelling on it, I was asked recently what I thought about the concept of living a long life. I thought this would make a good post, and a chance to exercise my gallows humour. I hope you enjoy the walk down the corridor of doom. - The £28,000 Hug: 2025 A “Ballsy” Retrospective
When we told people that we were going to start a ‘movement’ based on a midnight ‘brain dump,’ I had in early 2025, they said we should be prepared for a bit of a ride. But we didn’t think it would be quite such a ride that would take us all the way to £28,000. Read on for a summary of 2025’s exploits. - Episode IV: A New Normal
I’m trying to navigate life with a sense of humor and a dose of late 1980s-inspired perspective. From the geopolitical nervousness of my childhood to the “meds-at-the-pub” reality of living with Parkinson’s, I hope these posts capture my new normal with honesty and a sprinkling of dry wit. If you’re wondering what’s driving me to start this saga now, discarding the safety of my targeting system, the answer starts here. - An Imposter Syndrome, Parkinson’s and Me
After five years of living and working with Parkinson’s, I’ve decided to take the advice of the Why Don’t You team of my youth and “turn off the television set and go and do something less boring instead”—finally calling time on what turned out to be a surprisingly interesting career in I.T. If you would like to hear what I consider my greatest achievement, read on. - Keyser Söze Shuffle to Billy Elliot Barnstormer
A family trip to Disney World: 100,000 strangers, 90-degree heat, and one uninvited travel companion. Watch as a ‘Keyser Söze’ morning shuffle transforms into a ‘Billy Elliot’ barnstormer in the middle of the Magic Kingdom. It turns out that when nobody knows your name, you’re free to find your own rhythm. - Murder on The Dance Floor: The Parkinson’s Excuse Me
The first time it occurred to me that something was wrong was when I went dancing with my wife. A year later I had my Parkinson’s diagnosis. What happened next? - Yellow Jersey of the Week #9
The B2P “Hall of Fame” spotlights a member of the team or a sponsor who has gone that extra mile to support us. Each week we award a “yellow jersey” to commemorate their efforts and input them into the hall. This week, the jersey goes to Glam Rampage! Read on to hear more about their fantastic contribution to our campaign. - Yellow Jersey of the Week #8
The B2P “Hall of Fame” spotlights a member of the team or a sponsor who has gone that extra mile to support us. Each week we award a “yellow jersey” to commemorate their efforts and input them into the hall. This week, the jersey goes to Drew and Isla Dodds. Find out how hard the have been training and fundraising over the last couple of weeks. - Yellow Jersey of the Week #7The B2P “Hall of Fame” spotlights a member of the team or a sponsor who has gone that extra mile to support us. Each week we award a “yellow jersey” to commemorate their efforts and input them into the hall. This week, the jersey goes to all those who made the Headington Village Hall Bash such a success! Read on to find out more.
- Yellow Jersey of the Week #6
The B2P “Hall of Fame” spotlights a member of the team or a sponsor who has gone that extra mile to support us. Each week we award a “yellow jersey” to commemorate their efforts and input them into the hall. This week, the jersey goes to Coco Noir in Headington! Read on to hear more about their fantastic contribution to our campaign. - Dopamine Fuelling the Parkinson’s Blues
They say Parkinson’s can unlock a sudden surge of creativity—or maybe it’s just the dopamine meds talking. I found myself dusting off my guitar to pen the ‘Parkinson’s Blues,’ but was my debut performance a standing ovation or a technical hitch? The soundtrack of the ‘new normal’ starts here. - The “Parky” Paradox: It’s My Diagnosis and I’ll Cry if I Want To
Is ‘Parky’ a friendly shorthand or a trivializing trap? I found myself caught in a cordial social media crossfire over how we label this disease. As a bit of an ‘Indecisive Dave,’ I’m weighing up the gravity of the condition against the power of a nickname. Join the debate on what’s in a name. - Yellow Jersey of the Week #5
The B2P “Hall of Fame” spotlights a member of the team or a sponsor who has gone that extra mile to support us. Each week we award a “yellow jersey” to commemorate their efforts and input them into the hall. This week, the jersey goes to the Mallinsons family! Find out about their fantastic fundraising exploits this week. - Yellow Jersey of the Week #4The B2P “Hall of Fame” spotlights a member of the team or a sponsor who has gone that extra mile to support us. Each week we award a “yellow jersey” to commemorate their efforts and input them into the hall. This week, the jersey goes to music venue Dalton’s in Brighton! Read on to hear more about their fantastic venue and how they have been supporting our campaign.
- Despots, Dopamine, and the New Normal
What spurred me on to rejoin the world of social media after years of silence? It wasn’t Brexit or Liverpool winning the title—it was the realization that my ‘new normal’ wasn’t going anywhere. From 3 a.m. thoughts on global despots to the reality of a life-changing diagnosis, here is why I’m finally getting on with it. - Swiping Right: How I Found a Pal with Parkinson’s
I spent quite a while post-diagnosis with my head in the sand, terrified that meeting another ‘Parky’ would be a glimpse of a future I wasn’t yet prepared for. But after three years of lonely cycling, I decided it was time to find a teammate, so I ‘swiped right’. From neutral-ground coffee summits to gallows humor, here is how I finally found the tribe I never wanted to join. - Yellow Jersey of the Week #2 & #3The B2P “Hall of Fame” spotlights a member of the team or a sponsor who has gone that extra mile to support us. Each week we award a “yellow jersey” to commemorate their efforts and input them into the hall. This week, D G Timber Solutions Ltd and Adept Consulting received recognition for their generous support. Their contributions significantly help us on the way to meet our fundraising target, read on to find out more.
- Sherlock in Lycra: The Case of the Car-Park Face Plant
What happens when your smartphone goes off on a ‘solo mission,’ and you perform the perfect slow-motion face plant, all while squeezed into a suit of neon Lycra? You get a mystery only Sherlock (in cycling shorts) could solve. Here is how I proved that karma exists—even if my dignity didn’t. - The Elephant, the Pub and the Gonads
I ‘insightfully’ Googled what men talk about in pubs, and the results weren’t surprising. We’re great at shoulder-to-shoulder chat about the offside rule, but we’re failing the ‘nads’ exam. Reflecting on the elephant that sat in the corner of my dad’s room, I’m joining Deadpool and Hugh Jackman to prove that talking balls—literally—is a conversation we can’t afford to skip. - Elite Performers Eat Cake
Here how eating more cake can earn you a personal best and a red nose. - £1000 Down, £9000 to Go (That’s a Lot of Cake)
Reaching 10% of our target before we’ve even launched our first official event is a massive win. It’s a powerful reminder that while Parkinson’s and Testicular Cancer are tough opponents, together we can significantly raise awareness of these two conditions and help say ‘balls’ to them both. If we can do this much just by starting the conversation, perhaps that £10,000 target isn’t as far away as I first thought? - Help? Sometimes All You Need to Do Is Ask
I’ll admit, I spent a good few minutes pacing outside the door of Majestic Wine, practicing my ‘sales’ pitch and trying to look like a man who knew exactly what he was doing. It turns out that asking for help is a bit like hill climbing—the anticipation is much harder than the actual pedaling. Thankfully, Freddie Whitelaw was there to prove that sometimes, all you have to do is ask. - Yellow Jersey of the Week #1The B2P “Hall of Fame” spotlights a member of the team or a sponsor who has gone that extra mile to support us. Each week we award a “yellow jersey” to commemorate their efforts and input them into the hall. This week, the jersey goes to Chris Fitzpatrick! Read on to hear more about how he is supporting the Headington Village Hall Bash!
Balls to Parkinson’s 