Jon Goodwin - Astronaut 011

Jon Goodwin is a British Olympian and adventurer on the cusp of adding ‘astronaut’ to his long list of accomplishments.

As a canoeist, Jon competed in the 1972 Olympic games in Munich, and he still holds records to this day for various and intrepid canoe expeditions covering thousands of miles within the USA, Himalayas and Arctic. His flight aboard ‘Galactic 02’ will make him the first Olympian to become an astronaut.

Jon was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2014, but responded to this challenge by pushing the boundaries even further to prove what can be possible. This includes climbing up and cycling down Mount Kilimanjaro. He will be only the second person diagnosed with Parkinson’s to fly to space.

Jon is committed to finding a cure for the disease and is a proud donor to Parkinson’s UK to help further that pursuit. He also intimately understands the personal struggle and helps others as part of a Parkinson’s UK support group.

When he boards VSS Unity in August, his wife Pauline (twice an Olympian herself) and their two sons, who have been with him through all of his challenges and triumphs, will be cheering him on at Spaceport America, New Mexico.

“Seeing me do this will hopefully be inspirational to all the other people who face challenges in their lives. I hope it shows them that these obstacles can be the start rather than the end to new adventures, and that they can be the impetus to do even greater things.”