"Find Your Passion and Go For It."
"Just because you have PD doesn’t mean it is the end of the world... I have never looked back."
Read Gunnar's FULL STORY
Find Your Passion and Go for It
Gunnar Henricksson was diagnosed April 1, 2004, April Fool’s Day. Today he is still a busy guy. He is working, volunteering, and he just returned from an interview by third year Pharmacy students, who now know a whole lot more about Parkinson disease and the Parkinson Alberta Society. He works hard to deliver his message — " tell your patients who come into your pharmacies to seek help through the Parkinson Alberta Society. It is the best place to get the support you want." Gunnar's story was submitted by Judy Deverill, Client Services Coordinator, Edmonton Office who believes Gunnar may yet challenge the current record. It wouldn’t surprise us.
By Gunnar Henricksson
My wife had noticed that my right thumb trembled and shook, so she suggested I go see the doctor. That was the beginning of my new life. A life with Parkinson. My family doctor examined me, and immediately referred me to a neurologist. By that time my whole right arm was shaking, and looking back I am sure that she knew but did not want to make the call. As soon as Dr. Brad Stewart saw me, he knew what it was. It was Parkinson’s.
He told me to go home...get drunk…and said “if the shaking goes away it is Parkinson’s.” It was Parkinson’s. The best thing Dr. Stewart did was to refer me to The Parkinson’s Society in Edmonton. I was scared. I went into their offices and met with Mary. Mary educated me, and told me it was not the end of the world, I was not going to die. Mary gave me hope.
She took me to the Movement Disorders Clinic which at that time was in the General Hospital. There I met a gal by the name of Kris who interviewed me, and found out I lifted weights. Kris encouraged me to keep doing what I was doing and to work on my legs every time I go to the gym. When the legs go, then you are in trouble. I hated doing legs. However I did as I was told. In November 2006, I was having lunch with a friend of mine who was a weight lifting coach. He asked me if I had ever checked out the Alberta Power Lifting Website. I had never heard of it before. When I got home, I checked it out. I was curious. What would a 50 year old who weighs 260 lbs have to lift to be respectable in this sport?
I found out that the squat record for 50 year olds….was 176 kilos/385 lbs. At the time I was doing about 330 – 340 lbs. I quickly phoned my friend and asked if he would coach me. Perhaps we could take a run at the record. It took me a month and a half to convince him I was serious. So, in February, 2007 he began coaching me. By July 2007, we had set a new squat record at 177 ½ kilos/ 391 lbs. Everyone wanted to coach the “old guy that shakes!” This was a great bunch of people!!!
February 2008, I was in a tournament in Edmonton at the University of Alberta and we were able to raise the squat record to 195 kilos /429 lbs. In the same tournament I was able to set the dead lift record 202.5 kilo/ 445 lbs. Since then we have raised the squat record to 220 kilo/ 482 lbs. Today, the squat record is held by a lifter in Calgary at 525 lbs. Recently, July 2011, I was in the provincials in Calgary competing in the bench press only, and was able to do 160 kilo/ 352 lbs. I finished 2nd place. I had always been scared to get back into competitive weight lifting after I left high school. I didn’t think I was good enough. Once I was diagnosed, I was also worried about how the other lifters would react to me lifting and having Parkinson’s. To my surprise, many of them told me “I inspired them.”
When I was diagnosed my first thought was “is this all there is for me now?” I was disappointed. There were so many things that I wanted to do, thing I had just kept putting off. Competing again in weight lifting was one of them. My coach entered me in the provincials and encouraged me to go and have a good time. Just because you have PD doesn’t mean it is the end of the world and you quit striving to do stuff. I have lifted more weight with PD than I ever did in my prime. I am competing against able bodied lifters, and there are no concessions made for me. I have never looked back.
Find your passion and go for it. I did!