Trekking Upward

It was time for me to be public about my Parkinson’s Disease and I wanted a platform to bring it out in the open. I was searching for purpose and meaning in life and needed a cause. I came across the Climb Kilimanjaro event on the Michael J Fox Foundation site and I knew this was what I wanted to do. I am sure I can make the ascent and if I don’t summit, I will have made the grand effort. So, I submitted my request to join the team. I was accepted the next day which took me by surprise. I thought I’d have to submit a medical clearance and get references before becoming a group member. That was not required but I decided to seek my doctor’s approval anyway. When he said he didn’t see a reason why I could not participate, I knew I was going to go. I’m officially on the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Climb Kilimanjaro team to summit to the top of this iconic mountain in Tanzania, Africa this summer. It will be an eight-day trek climbing to the summit at 19,344 feet and covering about 43 miles. The support has been overwhelming. But it’s not just about the physical climb. It is symbolic of my personal journey with Parkinson’s Disease. It’s about determination to take charge of my life and my destination. No one can do this for me as it will have to be me putting one foot in front of the other. It is about me climbing this mountain for myself. I can’t wait to be on the summit screaming, “I’m 67 years old. I have Parkinson’s disease and I’m at the top!”

My inspiration goes back to October 2020, and the nation was thawing out from the deep, immobilizing freeze of COVID-19. Travel and hiking are my passions, and I was restless to be on the move. I had places to go, things to see and mountains to climb. I decided to plan a hiking trip in the United States as I felt uneasy about going out of the country. I had been to southwest Utah many years ago when I was in my twenties and remembered the stunning beauty of the red rocky formations of that area. I had wanted to return there for many years and now was the time. I invited a few of my hiking girlfriends to join me on this excursion and two accepted the invitation. Teresa Krueger is a girlfriend I knew from living in southern California in my twenties and Joy Enderle is a girlfriend I knew from my home city of Asheville, NC. Teresa lives in Boise, ID and would join Joy and me in Utah. I had not seen Teresa for about three decades, but we had enjoyed many hiking outings together in southern California.

Lucretia Pintacuda, Teresa Krueger, Joy Endele

We set up a home base lodging and resting station in a timeshare unit I reserved in St. George, UT. From here we day hiked to various destinations in the area. We had researched places to hike and each of us had our top picks. The first day we hiked near St. George and were wowed by the majestic scenery. Over the next few days, we took in slot canyons, saw petroglyphs, trapsed over petrified sand dunes, and saw many wonders that we ooed and awed over. It was my desire to hike The Narrows at Zion National Park. I had read up on the stunning sites of this river trek and knew it was a highlight to experience. We planned to rent the necessary waterproof boots that were needed for this hike but on the morning we arrived at the park, it was cool, and I was afraid my feet would get cold despite being dry. I do not tolerate having cold hands or feet very well, so we decided not to hike The Narrows but opted to hike Angels Landing instead. I had been set on The Narrows so hadn’t researched Angels Landing and didn’t realize what we were in for when we set out on this momentous hike. It is about 4.5 miles roundtrip with a lot of switchbacks till you arrive at Scout Lookout. At that point the trail takes a dramatically steep climb where you use railings and cables to aid in your ascent. It is a very narrow trail slithering up the ridge of the cliff. There are warning signs along the way advising that many have plunged to their death and if you have any doubts as to your ability to make the trek just forego the climb. Teresa and I decided to start out with the decision that if we felt uncertain at any point we would turn around and go back down. Joy opted to wait for us at Scout Lookout. We took the approach to just look ahead and not look to the steep cliffs on either side of the trail. We just put one foot in front of the other and gracefully slid to the side when we needed to let another hiker pass. The 500-foot elevation gain in that half mile was very steep and treacherous indeed but we made it to the peak. I remember being on top of Angels Landing with a 360-degree viewpoint advantage looking over the Zion National Park valley. It was exhilarating. I was there at the pinnacle. I was 65 years old with Parkinson’s Disease and I was on top! I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs to tell the world that Parkinson’s was not going to hold me back. It was not going to control my life. The feeling was addicting, and I knew I would look for other triumphant moments.

Check out my fundraising page for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research – https://give.michaeljfox.org/fundraiser/4542945

I am so excited to have been chosen to join the Michael J. Fox Foundation Team to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in August 2023!

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2017 and was determined that it would not stop my love of the outdoors and hiking every week in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. In the beginning, I didn’t tell people because of the shame and pity often associated with this disease.

I want to be an inspiration to those living with Parkinson’s that they can still live a vibrant life. More importantly, we are the ones to take charge of our treatment, our attitude, our limiting beliefs and the progress of our condition.

Summiting the iconic mountain of Africa is a personal challenge that exemplifies the physical and emotional challenges of Parkinson’s. It is also my way to honor my parents’ examples of service to their community and sacrifice for others.

There are only 11 Team Members selected for this momentous opportunity – some hike in memory of someone, some hike in honor of a family member, and a few of us are hiking because we have this disease.

Team Fox is the grassroots fundraising program at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). 100 percent of Team Fox proceeds go straight to MJFF problem-solving and high-impact efforts.

I invite you to come along on this trek with me – first by helping me reach my initial goal of $10,000 in donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Every dollar makes a difference.

Then, follow me here (and on Facebook) for more of my personal journey, updates, and photos of our team in Africa.