In the fourth in our series of profiles of the bloggers supporting the World Parkinson Congress 2019, we talk to Tim Hague Sr, who blogs about how perseverance and positivity can help people with Parkinson’s
Do you have a particular audience in mind when you’re writing?
Generally, Parkinson’s community at large, but also those who may not be familiar with the disease.
Is there an aspect of Parkinson’s that you’re most passionate about?
Absolutely, that would be all things pertaining to living well with the disease.
How widely read is your blog and in which countries?
My mailing list is around 1,600 and social media contacts are roughly 4,000.
Have you been surprised by the global audience you’ve attracted?
It has helped tremendously to have The Amazing Race Canada experience on my side. My son, Tim Hague Jr, and I were contestants on the reality television show. We had to complete a range of endurance feats, while making our way around the world. We went on to win!
Which has been the most controversial?
No real controversies!
Talk us through your routine: when do you find time to blog?
I have been working on a book for the last few years, which is entitled ‘Perseverance: The Seven Skills You Need to Survive, Thrive, and Accomplish More Than You Ever Imagined’ and it has now been published. In it, I write: “I’ve learned to persevere. This is an important point to hold on to: perseverance can be learned. We can grow in our ability to withstand difficult times. We can learn to push forward in the face of failure. We can develop the determination to keep slogging ahead until we reach that remarkable day when someone in our life points out how ‘lucky’ we’ve been.”
I also run my own charity. Because I’m so busy, any other writing has been horribly difficult to do.
What physical challenges do you face in writing and do you use any technology to support you?
Typing can be a serious challenge during ‘off’ periods, so I’ve started using speech recognition and dictation software Dragon Dictation.
What do you hope people will take away from reading your blog?
Encouragement, inspiration and meaningful ways in which they can have a better quality of life with Parkinson’s.
How did you get involved with the WPC?
I was asked to speak at the WPC Montreal, Canada in 2013, after we won The Amazing Race Canada.
Can you share any memorable moments from the last one you attended?
The people at WPC are my favourite. You get to meet so many interesting people from around the world who are working with you, and for you.
What are you most looking forward to at WPC2019?
I love to travel and I’m very excited to be going to Kyoto, Japan.
Watch Tim Hague Sr’s TEDx talk below.