A Wisconsin man is cycling towards a cure for Parkinson’s disease. Dozens of bikers are set to take off in an annual Wisconsin fundraiser called Peloton4Parkinson’s at the end of April.
“This all started from, you know, a son who loved his mom,” Eric Tostrud, P4P director, said.
Tostrud’s mom, Judy, battled the chronic neurological disorder for 15 years. It was his love for his mother — and movement — that made him want to do something more for the Parkinson’s community.
Peloton4Parkinson’s was founded in 2016 and started with just one person on a spin bike and has since turned into a powerful movement. In the last decade, it’s brought in more than 3,000 bikers and raised $500,000.
“What I did is I took this frustration that I had over my mom having to deal with his disease, that I knew was eventually going to take her down, and channeled it somewhere,” Tostrud said.
While no longer Earthside, Tostrud knows his parents are proud.
“I just know that they’re looking down on this and are just going, ‘What did you do?'” Tostrud said.
Tostrud also owns and operates “The Zone” gym in Hudson, Wisconsin. It offers group fitness, personal training and Rock Steady Boxing, which is a boxing fitness class specifically designed for people living with Parkinson’s. The class combines movement and muscle work to enhance balance, strength, agility and quality of life.
His students keep him fighting the good fight.
“I see smiles on their faces, when maybe there wouldn’t be. That’s what, that’s what keeps me moving forward,” Tostrud said.
Peloton4Parkinson’s kicks off with a Research Panel Presentation on Friday, April 25 at Tattersall Distillery + Event Center in River Falls. The main event, featuring 11 spin ride options, is from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 26 at The Zone. There’s also a silent auction happening throughout the weekend.
One-hundred percent of P4P proceeds go towards Parkinson’s research, through both national and local initiatives. Tostrud said riders can even join virtually. Register to ride here.
This news item came from: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/peloton-4-parkinsons/
