Liz’s Story

Hello. My name is Liz Ogren and I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2007 after several years of subtle yet remarkable changes that were odd for a “young” active person. After being diagnosed with PD, I spent lots of time on my couch. Fortunately, my family convinced me to get off the couch and start biking and walking.

I felt the benefits almost immediately, and founded Pedal and Roll For Parkinson’s in spring 2011 so that I could help others get moving. The inaugural event took place on September 24, 2011 at Cleary Lake Park in Prior Lake.

Research – and my own experience – has shown that pedaling alleviates PD symptoms. The benefits are magnified by more pedaling, and gradually diminish as you stop. Pedaling is faster, easier, and covers more distance in less time than walking. And, there are special bikes that require no balance, such as recumbent trikes.

My goal in creating this organization was to motivate other people with Parkinson’s to get off the couch and “Pedal and Roll for Parkinson’s”. We have held bicycling events, weekly group bike rides, Nordic walks, Spin classes, and encouraged people with Parkinson’s to get active. We have traveled to communities in greater Minnesota to share the benefits of exercise and have raised funds for Parkinson’s. We purchased a fleet of recumbent trikes so people could explore different models and features, and loaned them for use on our bike rides. We have introduced hundreds of people with Parkinson’s to the transformative benefits of biking.

As my journey continues, our operations change with the times. Our 2021 season will focus solely on riding. We are organizing 6 group bike rides in various locations around the Twin Cities. The 8 trikes in our fleet are available for use on a group ride, with a reservation and a donation of $20. New rider orientation and fitting of trikes will be held at the ride location one hour prior to start time.

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