Katrina Shirley

“I will let Parkinson’s help tell my story, but I will not let it define me.”

Katrina Shirley is a daughter, sister, friend, Christian, musician, wife, teacher, mother, artist, and badminton player. She enjoys spending time with family, of which many friends around the world are counted as part. She considers it a blessing to have lived in 6 countries: the US, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Italy, and China; and insists on counting the Philippines where she and her family were stuck for 6 months during COVID. She and her husband, John, have traveled to and experienced the wonder of over 60 countries. In each of these places, she has enjoyed watching, hiking through, and photographing nature, as well as writing poetry and journaling. At 46, she uses her many life experiences, including surviving breast cancer in 2015, and diagnosis of Young Onset Parkinson’s in 2018, to connect with and encourage others. She is honored to be able to use art in this way now as well. Soli deo Gloria!