Carol Clupny

We welcome Carol Clupny, reading from her memoir The Ribbon of Road Ahead. Ten years ago, at age 50, Carol was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. For a woman who grew up riding horses, climbing trees, and tubing down the creek in Walla Walla, Washington, this was a devastating diagnosis. Retired from her career as a speech-language pathologist, she quickly became fed up with sitting in a recliner and feeling sorry for herself. She knew she had to keep moving — first short walks, then longer and longer ones, eventually trekking the pilgrimage trails of the Camino de Santiago in France and Spain. A dusty bike discovered in the garage resulted in thousands of miles ridden locally and three rides on the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.

On her many trips, Carol faces challenges she could never have foreseen, forges lasting friendships, and confronts the reality of life with a neurological disorder. Told with humor and grace, The Ribbon of Road Ahead shows us how to  kep finding adventure when life changes course and provides inspiration and encouragement to people facing similar challenges. Nan Little says “Rather than perching on a pedestal as the perfect person with Parkinson’s, Carol slips in the mud and gets up laughing at herself.” Carol is active in the Parkinson’s Community as an ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation, an advocate for people with the disease, and a support group facilitator. She and her husband Charlie have raised two boys, two horses, numerous dogs and cats, and many calves on their small acreage in Hermiston, Oregon.