Walk and Roll Event-100 Trains for Ataxia

May 8 is the Paris date for the 100 Trains for Ataxia. This global event, an “accessible walk”, is taking place along the Promenade Plantée (Coulée verte René-Dumont).

Iain McGeachin, organizer and participant, wrote to me about the event, one of a series of 17 similar walks taking place in major European cities. Due to Ian’s own physical limitations with Ataxia, all events are very accessible to all.

Ataxia is a form of spinocerebellar ataxia (idiopathic), very rare genetic condition with various Ataxia types. The May and June events as part of a larger, global fundraising event for Ataxia UK (the registered ataxia charity in the UK) to raise general awareness of the ataxia condition and united with other Ataxia sufferers.

On a train when Ataxia hit him
Iain was fulfilling a life-long dream on a 50,000 km RTW train journey (round the world). About midway through on the Trans-Siberian Express in Siberia, he fell ill and returned home.

“I had never heard of it myself, before being diagnosed with it,” he writes. After two years and a “stream of doctors and neurologists”, he was diagnosed. Read more about the malady, the 2016 Walk ’n’ Roll event, research and fundraising.

A drop-down calendar on the 100 Trains for Ataxia website. Other cities participating are London, Milan, Pisa, Rome, Florence, Venice, Ljubljana, Budapest, Bratislava, Brno, Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Brussels.

Logistical information from the 100 Trains for Ataxia website:
Meeting Point
The Rue de Lyon entrance to the Promenade Plantée (see the map on the website). The meeting point will be very clearly marked. Just look for the “Ataxia” balloons (or a rather tall chap wearing a kilt!).

Meeting Time
2:45 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. The walk begins at 2 p.m. sharp. It is recommended to arrive at the meeting point a few minutes before then. Ian will be at the Meeting Point from 2:45 p.m. (Ian should be fairly easy to spot!, he writes.)

Walk Length/Duration
Approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 miles). The time taken depends on your “walking and rolling” pace. He estimates no more than one hour.

If you are unable to participate yourself, please sponsor this event using the Ataxia UK Walk’n’Roll fundraising page.

100% of your donation (plus an additional 25% if you are a UK taxpayer) goes directly to Ataxia UK.