AN adventurer is coming to Wrexham to recount his incredible journey, in an event supporting a Parkinson’s Disease charity.

Brynkinalt Hall, near Chirk, will host Running on Empty, with explorer Guy Deacon CBE next month.

Aged 60 and having lived with Parkinson's disease for more than 10 years, Guy set out for one last adventure, to drive solo from his home in the UK to South Africa. This incredible journey, crossing Europe and the full length of Africa, would take the former army officer and father-of-two more than 12 months, 18,000 miles, 25 countries, five breakdowns, an emergency evacuation and 3,650 prescription pills.

An incredible feat for a man travelling alone with Stage 3 Parkinson's.

 

Brynkinalt Hall.

Brynkinalt Hall.

 

With very little use of his hands, poor spatial awareness and often appearing drunk to those who do not understand the disease, Guy would drive, live and sleep in his VW Transporter for 12 months, often camping alone in the jungle and remote spots hundreds of miles from the nearest village or town.

Not only would the journey be fulfilling a childhood dream to drive across Africa, but Guy's mission was also to raise awareness of Parkinson's Disease which is heavily stigmatised in Africa where it is often linked to witchcraft and black magic, leaving sufferers ostracised by their communities.

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Guy first set off in November 2019 making it as far as Sierra Leone in March 2020 when the covid-19 pandemic struck. The borders were closed and after being stuck in Sierra Leone with no way out, Guy was evacuated by the British Government on an emergency relief flight leaving his trusty van behind.

Many adventurers have setbacks on their journeys but for Guy, with each passing month that he waited in the UK for travel restrictions to lift, his Parkinson's would advance and his mobility would deteriorate. By the time he restarted the journey two years later in March 2022 his condition had deteriorated significantly.

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Several times throughout the 12 month journey Guy came close to giving up. The challenge left him both physically and mentally exhausted and as the days wore on, he found it more and more difficult to communicate and began feeling increasingly isolated and alone. He had a phone to keep in touch with friends and family, but with his limited dexterity it was often easier not to. In the end it was the kindness of strangers that restored his faith and spurred him on in his darkest hours.

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Throughout the 18,000 mile journey Guy kept a video diary and was joined on four occasions by a documentary maker. This has resulted in 85 hours of footage and several thousand photos of this incredible adventure through the heart of Africa which will be made into a documentary for Channel 4 to be released this spring.

Running on Empty is on Monday, May 13, from 7pm-10pm. It is open to all, tickets cost £20, with all proceeds going to support Parkinson’s. Tickets are available online here: tinyurl.com/224tdb3u

• Guy was supported throughout his journey by The Cure Parkinson's Trust a charity set up to find a cure for Parkinson's as well as Parkinson's Africa, whose mission is to raise awareness and empower those with Parkinson's to make informed decisions about their own health.