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Parkinson's sufferer praises Welsh support after completing walk along nation's coast Jan 6 2003 Jenny Rees, The Western Mail - The National Newspaper Of Wales A PARKINSON'S sufferer has ended the Welsh leg of his UK coastline walk with his best support yet. Tom Isaacs has been following the coast of the UK to raise money and awareness to research a cure for the disease, and will have walked a total of 4,500 miles by the time he has finished the walk. He started the Welsh section in Rhyl on November 11 and ended at City Hall, Cardiff, after stopping at the National Assembly building, on Saturday. The 34-year-old said, "I have had a wonderful walk through Wales - despite some pretty wet weather sometimes, the welcome has always been warm. "I have had more people join me in my walk and had more support from local newspapers and radio stations in Wales than anywhere in the UK - thank you Wales, diolch yn fawr. There have been some mornings when it has been difficult to get going - then the drugs kick in, I meet some more people and I'm off. "I started in Rhyl on November 11 when I met some of the local activists who work tirelessly in Wales for the Parkinson's Disease Society. Then I was joined in walking up Snowdon by a local Assembly Member. "At Criccieth I was met by both school children and local politicians. At Machynlleth I was given the proceeds of a whist drive to help the cause and in Pembrokeshire the local MP walked with me along the spectacular coastal path in the national park. "At Cydweli I met one of my rugby heroes, Ray Gravell, and at Cydweli Castle I was waved on my way by the mayor, the local Assembly Member, more supporters and a labrador. "In Swansea a choir sang We'll Keep a Welcome for me and I reached the end of my Welsh journey in the nation's capital. "I was delighted to visit the National Assembly, whose members have given me so much support, from all parties, and to meet the staff from Norgine, (the Hengoed-based pharmaceutical manufacturer) who have been so generous in their support for me in Wales." One of Tom's supporters is Welsh golfer Phil Price, who said, "I am very pleased to support Tom in his truly impressive endeavour of walking round the whole coastline of the UK. Some of the links courses in Wales can be enough of a challenge without the whole coastline to deal with. "I have met some inspiring people in the past year and for me Tom is up there with the best of them. I am also pleased to know that Tom is a keen golfer - all the best people are." Tom Isaacs is aiming to raise £250,000 over his whole journey, and since he has been in Wales he has been given more than £30,000 in donations towards his goal, putting him over the £200,000 mark and well on his way to the ultimate target. Donations can be made through the website, http://www.coastin.co.uk SOURCE: The Western Mail http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/page.cfm?objectid=12 505087&method=full&siteid=50082 * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn