Around The World -- Trek For A Cause -- How Did It All Begin?

[Murray Charters <mcharters@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Around The World -- Trek For A Cause
By Kamika Dunlap
Mercury News

Posted on Thu, Oct. 02, 2003

A group of adventurers from Los Gatos are gearing up to journey around the world
on a nine-month trek to raise $1 million and awareness about Parkinson's 
disease.

Traveling in specially equipped Land Rovers and touring 34 countries, the team 
of
men and women will participate in the Drive Around the World -- Longitude
Expedition.

Among them is Nancy Olson, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer who served during
the Persian Gulf War and worked as a public affairs officer at the Pentagon 
during
the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. She will help lead the 
team
with her experience gained from participating in armed forces triathlons and 
other
competitions, namely the 2003 Land Rover G4 Challenge, which required her to use
precision four-wheel driving, trail running, climbing and mountain biking.

``I share this way of life called adventure,'' said Olson, 30, who is in the 
Marine
Corps Reserve. ``I've got an incredible opportunity to use my skills and what I 
love
to make a difference. It's more than an around-the-world adventure for me 
because
it hits close to home.'' Olson's 85-year-old grandfather has battled 
Parkinson's, a
progressive disorder of the nervous system marked by muscle tremors, for 15 
years.

``Incorporating Parkinson's awareness helps to make the trip enriching, '' she 
said.

In that spirit, the team will leave Nov. 1 from the Parkinson's Research Center 
in
Sunnyvale to South America, Australia, Asia, Eastern Europe, Canada and Alaska
to visit other research centers. During the expedition they will interact with 
Los
Gatos High School and other schools across the United States using wireless
Internet access and satellite phones from their vehicles.

The participants hope to educate students through their Web site www.drivearound
theworld.com about Parkinson's disease, which affects more than 1 million
Americans. There are about 50,000 new cases each year, according to the National
Institutes of Health. The team also hopes to interact with students -- answering
questions kids post on the Web site -- as well as teach them about the culture 
and
history of each region as they proceed. Along the way they plan to raise 
visibility
about their efforts by inviting celebrities who are battling Parkinson's -- 
such as
Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali -- to join them on a leg of the trip.

Land Rover's certified pre-owned division donated four vehicles for the 
expedition.
In addition, two vehicles were donated to be used for the schools' educational
program.

Before Olson came off of active duty in 2000 she participated on Marine 
triathlon
teams and in the Armed Forces Eco Challenge, known as the world's premier
expedition race. Through such high-level athletics, she learned concepts of 
physical
and mental endurance, teamwork and navigating in the outdoors.

``The Marine Corps has instilled a sense of confidence in me,'' Olson said. ``I 
don't
know the meaning of the words `I can't,' because I always use my brain and
resources to overcome obstacles.''

To prepare for the 31,000-mile international expedition, team members underwent
intense training for off-road driving last month. They learned how to maneuver 
their
Land Rovers -- rigged safari-style, with bars guarding the headlights and 
taillights,
car-top tents, extra gas cans, global-positioning systems, laptop computers, and
satellite phones -- across various terrain. Each member learned about the
mechanics of using a winch if their vehicles get stuck in mud or sand. In July, 
the
group took a trip to the Mojave Desert to get better acquainted and to practice 
using
the camping equipment.

``It sounds silly to test out camping,'' Olson said. ``But we need to learn as 
much as
we can about each other and to come up with a standard operating procedure for
our trip. When we pull into a camp along our route, we'll be tired, hungry and 
in
unknown territory.''

Drive Around the World is a non-profit organization and the brainchild of Nick
Baggarly, 35, of Los Gatos. He came up with the idea based on expeditions such 
as
the Great Race of 1907 from Peking to Paris, and the book ``Around the World in
80 Days'' by Jules Verne.

Baggarly's older sister was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1999, and it
inspired him to do anything he could to help researchers find a cure.

``For a year or so I felt hopeless, and I watched her degradation,'' Baggarly 
said of
his sister, who continues to battle the disease. ``But I'm trying to make this 
the
longest journey attempted with the focus on Parkinson's.''

Olson accepts the challenge. She hopes to help lead her team members in
spreading knowledge about the disease.

``I'm looking forward to the trip,'' she said. ``Part of adventure is meeting 
and
interacting with people from all over the world and impacting their lives no 
matter
how small.''

(following 2 links edited and updated by murray)

If you would like to make a pledge, (As part of their fund-raising efforts, we 
are
taking donations based on the kilometers the Expedition will cover) please go 
to our
Support section https://www.parkinsonsinstitute.org/support/drivearoundtheworld/
and show your support of the LONGITUDE team and Parkinson's research.

For more information about the roving Rovers, to read the journals and see 
photos
or to donate, visit 

SOURCE: Mercury News / The Parkinson's Institute, Sunnyvale, California


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