She has raised one the country’s most-loved comedic actors, but brave Taylors Lakes woman Jill Goss is almost as proud of her other great achievement.
Despite not being much of a walker, and finding it hard to stand for long periods, the mother of Kenny creator Shane Jacobson has trod the path of Parkinson’s Victoria’s annual Walk in the Park for the past seven years.
The 76-year-old even helps warm up the crowd up on stage at Federation Square before the four-kilometre trek.
Jill has been battling Parkinson’s Disease for almost 15 years, but remains stoic and determined to keep on moving.
“As I always say, I’ve got Parkinson’s, but it hasn’t got me,” she says proudly.
“I’ve lost my sense of smell, and my tastebuds aren’t as good as they once were.”
Jill says a long-term dedication to calisthenics has helped her ride the bumpy road of this disease, and picking up a paint brush also helps.
“When you paint, your hands don’t shake,” she says.
“Keeping my hands busy is the key.
“I also knit at night; it stops me from falling asleep.”
Jill will join thousands of Victorians for the eighth Walk in the Park this Sunday, starting at 11am at Federation Square.
Register: www.melbourne.parkinsonswalk.com.au
