Shifting gears around Oz
John Stockwell by his own admission is just an “ordinary bloke” however he has just embarked on something quite extraordinary as he heads around AustraliaAn avid motorcycling enthusiast, John Stockwell has Parkinson’s disease. With his condition deteriating,, on February 16 he began a cross-country trip dubbed “Shifting Gears – The ride of my life”.
John left Adelaide on his Ducati ST2 and headed east to arrive at Phillip Island in time for the first round of the Superbike World Superbike. He’ll then continue up the east coast and around to Darwin; across the Great Northern Highway to Broome before heading south to Perth and Albany; then on to Kalgoorlie; over the Nullabor to Streaky Bay and Port Lincoln; up to Port Augusta -- and that is just the first lap.
He plans to ride to Broken Hill, Cobar and on to Roma in Queensland; then Toowoomba, Tamworth, Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst; through to Canberra, over the Snowy Mountains; across country Victoria to Swan Hill, Mildura and finish the ride in Adelaide.
Like many a road trip before him, he encountered a small mechanical hiccup just a few days in to his journey, but the physical side that is taking its toll.
“Well I had a little trouble with the bike, just minor trouble, but it’s tiring because that’s how Parkinson’s affects you,” John said.
“I’m used to riding long distances, but it’s just a little harder than what it used to be.”
John said he knew he had to act early before he’d be forced in to giving up his passion of riding motorbikes.
“I don’t own a car, I ride bikes and that’s what I love doing, and when you’ve ridden them all your life and this happens, when you slowly lose a little feeling in your foot then you know it’s time to do something.
“I’d hate to sit down three or four years down the track and think ‘I wish I’d done that’ because it’s too late then and I couldn’t live with that regret, I’m a positive person.”
He’ll be travelling around the country solo and is welcoming local riders to meet him out on the road and will also be looking for spare beds en route.
“It’s completely solo but people can ride out of town and meet me, I do carry a GPS that was donated that sends a signal to a website and people can track me within 10 minutes of where I am.
“Since I’ve been here this morning, I’ve probably got four or five people that will put me up for the night.”
John maintains he’s not a celebrity and is looking to purely raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease around the country.
“And that’s the thing I’m just an ordinary bloke, I’m not rich, I’ve got a mortgage, but I’ve got a problem and it’s called Parkinson’s.
“This is about the awareness of Parkinson’s, talking to people, sufferers, people who are looking after people and the general public who don’t know anything about it.”
John set what he thought would be a reachable target of $15,000 in the name of Parkinson’s, he’s smashed that target and is not even one full week in to his journey.
“I’m over that. Before I left town, I’m waiting on an update today but I think it’s going to be around $17,500 or so already.”
You can follow John’s progress on his Facebook page here, and donate to his worthy cause online here.
Alternatively, contact Parkinson’s South Australia on (08) 8357 8909.
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