A DECADE on from being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Alex Flynn has completed a five-day ultramarathon.

Mr Flynn, from Wallingford, this week battled the gruelling 220km event to help mark Parkinson’s Awareness Week.

The 46-year-old has taken part in a number of marathons - totalling more than 10 million meters - to raise money for the charity and awareness of Parkinson's since being given the devastating diagnosis when he was just 36.

He said: “What’s it like to be told that you have a, presently incurable, chronic, degenerative neurological disease? Well, it certainly knocked me for six.

“I was angry at first, and then in denial for a long time.”

The father-of-three decided to face the disease head-on by taking on a flurry of marathons and refusing to let his diagnosis get the better of him.

Most recently, that saw him battling through the Vodafone Lost Island, which saw him cover 220km over five gruelling days in the SOuth Pacific.

The course includes hills, mountains, battling humidity, two cyclones and a technical trail which makes the event one of the hardest around.

The long-term degenerative condition is one that affects the central nervous system and over time begins to cause difficulty with mobility including walking, slowness of movement, shaking and rigidity.

But Mr Flynn has chosen to defy these symptoms and push himself to the limits over a number of adrenaline-filled running events.

He said: “It was only when I got to the Sahara, running in the Marathon Des Sables in 2009, that I got time think and accept that if this is it, then I am going to do my utmost to raise funding to find a cure.

“The reason being that over 120,000 people have Parkinson’s in the UK, with 10,000 diagnosed each year.”

One his fund raising page titled #KeepMoving he adds: “Rather than accept that this is my lot, I decided to get the most out of life. I’d like to make change happen and fight this disease.”

Hi efforts have included completing the Marathon des Sables, the Grand Union and the Europe135, as well as traversing 1,457 miles across Europe in 30 days and becoming the first person to cross the USA in 35.5 days.

It has seen him raise more than £68,819 for The Cure Parkinson’s Trust, plus almost £10,000 in gift aid.

The latest event took Mr Flynn to Fiji.

The adrenaline junkie pushed himself to the limit for the five day course from April 2 to April 6 before returning home this week.

It coincided with Parkinson’s Awareness Week this week, which also included Parkinson’s Awareness Day on Wednesday.

The campaign hopes to raise awareness of the neurological condition while also raising money to help find a cure.

Mr Flynn now hopes to inspire others to get stuck into exercise, which is one of the most important factors when living with Parkinson’s Disease.

Research has proved that exercise and physical activity can ease symptoms.

Despite his superhuman efforts, Mr Flynn now barely has time to put his feet up before preparing to run the London Marathon on Sunday, April 22.

To donate to the fight to find a cure, visit Mr Flynn’s fundraising page justgiving.com/fundraising/alex-flynn