SNOHOMISH—Snohomish resident Jessica Krier was only eight years old when her father, Ken Pinkerton, encouraged her to run her first 5k marathon. Now, three years after her father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, she is heading to the Boston Marathon as a member of Team Fox, to raise money, and awareness, for Parkinson’s disease.
For as long as Krier can remember, endurance sports have always been a key bonding moment with her father – who turned towards exercise and running to decompress from the stresses of his job working at the Snohomish County Jail, and later a Parol Officer with the Everett Police Department.
The two of them ran their first 5K together (the Saint Patrick’s Day Dash in Seattle) when Krier was still a young girl and she was immediately “hooked.”
“My father also worked on cars, which he did with my brother, so I felt like this was something him and I would bond over,” said Krier. “We’d always go to our local YMCA and run on their track to train for these 5K’s.”
Krier’s love for running spanned through junior high and high school, where she competed in track and field in addition to her school’s soccer team. Through every jog, every meet, and every game, her father Ken was always right alongside her, encouraging her, and cheering her on from the stands.
When Pinkerton’s knee went out, the two of them bought bicycles and continued to exercise together through frequent bike rides. However, in 2023, Pinkerton was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s.
“It was a huge hit on our family; he’s slowed down, when he comes to my events, he has to bring a chair and sit down and watch more on the sidelines. But every time I let life get to me, or stop training for an event, he still encourages me to find a goal, to do something, and asks what he can do to support me,” said Krier.
A that point, Krier decided she would turn her love for endurance sports into a good cause, frequenting her local YMCA’s Peddling for Parkinson’s events to raise money for Parkinson’s research. It was a way to not only continue exercising, but to also continue bonding with her father, and give back for always being by her side showing his support.
Through these events, she learned about Team Fox- a grassroots community fundraising program of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). After a grueling application process, involving multiple interviews and essays, her story ultimately resonated with the MJFF and she was selected to run, alongside 10 others, in this year’s Boston Marathon – the nation’s oldest, and one of the most prestigious, marathons.
“When they called and said I was accepted I immediately called my dad and he teared up. It was cool, it was finally something that I could do for him because he’s always done all this for me,” said Krier. “I was overjoyed. I felt overjoyed to be able to support such a big effort, and I felt overjoyed to support my dad. I don’t really know how much I can do other than take him to appointments, so this was just a huge way to say ‘I love you’ and thanks for everything you’ve done.”
Both Krier’s parents will be accompanying Krier, and her husband, on her Boston Marathon trip to show their support. Though this will be the first time she’s raced in the Boston Marathon, Krier has raced in several other high-caliber marathons, such as the New York Marathon, in the past.
Her plan for this spring is to arrive in Boston on April 19, spending her first night checking in and joining her fellow Team Fox members for dinner. The Boston Marathon will be held on Patriot’s Day, Monday, April 20. After the race, Krier said she’s looking forward to seeing the historic sights of Boston for the first time. She’ll fly back to Snohomish County that Wednesday.
Separate to running for Parkinson’s Awareness, Krier, through the MJFF, has setup a fundraiser where she hopes to raise $15,000 – 100% of which will go toward researching, and hopefully developing, a cure for the disease.
She will also be holding two upcoming fundraising events, a Pedalathon on February 7 at Columbia Athletic Club in Kirkland, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., a Superbowl Square fundraiser online the day after, and a fundraiser Bingo night at Pizza Coop and Ale in Woodinville on March 3, where Pizza Coop will be donated 25% of its proceeds that night to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
More than 6 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s — the second most common neurological disorder. In the United States alone, approximately 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year. Currently, there is no known cure.
Krier is currently enrolled at the University of Washington with hopes of becoming a nurse, where she will continue working for her community’s most vulnerable, on and off the running track.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
