Three months ago 53-year-old Rob Pennington would not have dreamt of competing in a triathlon, but that is exactly what he did finishing the Challenger Ford Spring Triathlon in Rockingham, Western Australia.

Rob lives with Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological condition that affects the nervous system when the brain does not produce enough dopamine.

According to Parkinson's Australia (PA), the disease affects around 100,000 Australians with people most commonly experiencing tremors, slowness of movement and rigidity. Parkinson's mostly affects people over the age of 65 years, however around 20 per cent of people with the disease are younger.

Rob set a personal goal in July 2022 to race in a triathlon with the support of his physiotherapist, they both completed it in October.

It took three months of regular sessions for Rob to build up his stride length and other parts of his body, so he felt confident enough to take on the challenge.

"The triathlon we completed was a bit below Olympic distance, the weather we had made it quite difficult,  we all struggled through the swim," he said.

"It was hard work for a 53-year-old to keep up with the youngsters but we did quite well on the bike.

"We had some supporters there that were screaming at us like wild chooks, that was good.

"It was an atrocious day with the weather but it was good fun and good to reach a goal."

Competing in the triathlon helped Rob overcome anxiety about what he could and could not do with his body.

He started experiencing anxiety after his Parkinson's diagnosis, something he had never battled before.

"Anxiety reared its ugly head, once I had anxiety I doubted myself daily, I fight it quite often" Rob said.

"Things like this triathlon, along with some guidance, has been just fantastic to deal with that."

Because Rob had competed in triathlons when he was younger he felt somewhat comfortable to take on the challenge with the support of people around him.

"It is a bit of a kick to your self esteem when you have Parkinson's disease or other neurological conditions," he said.

"You might have been a very fit person but within weeks you can go backwards real quick, and that is where these guys help bring you back on track.

"I do not know if I would have completed a triathlon because there are so many excuses, and when you have Parkinson's there are double the excuses, you can find an excuse for everything.

"Without that encouragement it would have been a different story, I might have started the race but I would not have finished it."

Rob's next big goal is to complete a longer-distance triathlon within the next six months, he also plans on completing a shorter one before Christmas and has inspired his children to also race.

"Now that I'm a champion I just need to get my transitions right," he said.

"I was pretty proud of myself when I finished the race, I felt fantastic.

"I was tired and exhausted, mentally and physically, but people come out to support you.

"You half think you are alone, and when you are in a room you are normally the only one with Parkinson's.

"Whereas with this you are around people who are sufferers or who know all about it and know what you are going through at different times.

"I was wrapped with what I did and the support I was given, it was really second-to-none."