Parkinson's: Retiree to travel more after Africa challenge

All 18,000 miles were completed in a Volkswagen Transporter van

A retiree with Parkinson's has "plans to travel more" after driving 18,000 miles (28,968km) across Africa.

Guy Deacon CBE has written a new book about his journey from Dorset to Cape Town, with its release coinciding with World Parkinson's Day.

The former army colonel, from Sherborne, travelled through 25 countries in his van over three years.

A Channel 4 documentary following Mr Deacon's travels is due to be released later this year.

He said he had been inspired to undertake the challenge by a book he received while at school that had Land Rovers crossing the desert as the sun set on its cover - leading him to think "that's what I wanna do when I grow up".

The route crossed through many of Africa's natural wonders, including the Namib desert

Mr Deacon, who suffers with bradykinesia, a slowness and stiffness of movement, admitted that during the journey, his own health was a concern.

He suffered five breakdowns, while taking 3,650 prescription pills to help manage his stage three Parkinson's disease - which he was diagnosed with in 2011.

The aim of the trip was to show other people with Parkinson's that "they need not give up, need not stop doing what they want to do, they need not give up on their dreams and although things are more difficult, they can still do them", he said.

All 18,000 miles were completed in a Volkswagen Transporter van

"They might need help enormously, but they should still try as hard as they can to carry on doing things because it's too easy to give up."

The challenge was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced him to be evacuated from Sierra Leone by the UK government in March 2020.

He said after the Covid-19 pandemic he found things "much more difficult"

He made it back to West Africa two years after being forced to put his challenge on hold, and with his condition deteriorating significantly.

"That two-year period was enough time for me to recognise the difference, because I went back to do the same sort of thing as I was doing before and discovered it was much more difficult," he said.

During his travels, Mr Deacon met other people with Parkinson's

On future plans, Mr Deacon said he had "two choices" - either "do nothing and gradually subside into nothingness" or "try and get out and about, and do what you want to do".

He added: "I still have plans to travel more...because I love doing it, and as long as I have the time and the help, and I don't rush, and I don't get too stressed, that's all possible - and why shouldn't I try and do it?"

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