Meet the York man who’s raised thousands for charity – by playing 677 rounds of golf
When Tony Bruce was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, his doctor advised him to keep active.
And Tony has certainly taken that on board!
He has now completed a mammoth 677 days of golf since 2021, raising £2,300 for charity Parkinson’s UK.
Tony, 70, from York, was diagnosed with the brain condition in 2019 and was advised by his neurologist that keeping active would help him manage his Parkinson’s symptoms.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, Tony decided that he wanted to play golf as often as he could as he noticed the positive impact it made on his physical and mental health.
After 100 days of consecutive golfing, he set himself the challenge of playing every day for a year and took it even further.
He said: “I’ve now completed 677 days of golfing, although unfortunately not consecutively because my wife and I went on a holiday to Croatia in 2022 for 13 days, and I couldn’t get to a golf club!
“As soon as we got back from the holiday, my wife unpacked and I went straight down to the golf course. To date, I have completed 435 days and then 242 days consecutively.
“Playing golf has such a positive impact on my symptoms. My tremor is getting worse over time and nothing can stop it, but when I’m at the golf course, I forget about it and it doesn’t matter to me.
“Those hours I spend playing golf are hours where I forget I have Parkinson’s.”
‘Incredible challenge’
Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, and currently there is no cure. It affects around 145,000 people in the UK – there are more than 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety.
“I want to raise as much as possible for Parkinson’s UK, there is currently no cure for the condition, and research is the only way forward,” Tony said.
“Please, donate what you can, and we can beat this condition together.”
You can donate here.
Regional Fundraiser at Parkinson’s UK Jacquie McGuire said: “We are so grateful to Tony for taking on this incredible challenge for Parkinson’s UK.
“Just like Parkinson’s, the right physical activity is different for everyone. We know that being active for 2.5 hours a week can help manage Parkinson’s symptoms, and has a positive impact both physically and mentally.”