Partners in life and on the ride, Ann-Marie and Sean McKenna fuel Team Soaring with Angels’ spirit of community.
When Ann-Marie McKenna was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in her early 50s, life quickly changed. Symptoms took away some of the things she loved most, like singing in a choir, and a car accident not long after added new challenges. Still, she chose to frame her journey with what she calls an “attitude of gratitude.” “Parkinson’s takes away, but gratitude reminds me I can still be thankful for the people in my life,” she said.
That gratitude has become the foundation of Soaring with Angels, the team Ann-Marie and her husband, Sean, lead in the New England Parkinson's Ride. Their connection to the Ride began in 2017 when Sean volunteered at the Team Fox event flipping hamburgers for cyclists. By the next year, he was on a bike himself, and together the couple launched their team.
The team began with just a couple of riders, but its growth has been steady and deeply personal. Friends, choir members, former colleagues, even strangers drawn to the team’s name have joined along the way. One rider from Maine signed on after losing her father to Parkinson’s. Another joined simply because her name — Anne Marie — matched. “People want to do something about Parkinson’s,” said Sean. “You just can’t be afraid to talk about it. Once you do, people step forward.” That openness has brought new riders, loyal supporters and unexpected gifts, including a Connecticut couple who were so moved by Ann-Marie’s story that they transferred their own fundraising dollars to Soaring with Angels and now ride with the team.
Fundraising has followed the same steady growth. From an $8,000 start, the team has now raised tens of thousands of dollars for research, boosted by dedicated champions, community events and local businesses rallying behind them. “People give because they know 100 percent goes straight to research,” said Sean. “That matters.”
For Ann-Marie, riding with the team is about far more than miles. Even when she can’t cycle on her own, she participates with Portland Wheelers — a program pairing accessible tricycles with volunteers — and will complete the 10-mile loop this year surrounded by teammates. “It’s not a race,” she said. “It’s community. It’s sharing.”
That sense of community stretches far beyond the course. Each year the team rents a house near the event, filling it with laughter, meals and conversations that deepen their bonds. Local residents line the roads with signs, and supporters return year after year because they know what they’re part of is special. “We’re part of the Ride family,” said Sean. “Every year, it refuels our tank. It reminds us we’re all in this together — and until there’s a cure, we’re not giving up.”
This September, Soaring with Angels will once again take to the road with 17 riders and volunteers of every distance and pace. From 10 miles to 100, each rider carries the same message: Parkinson’s may change lives, but it cannot diminish community, resilience or hope. Join them on Saturday, September 6, in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
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