'Heated Rivalry' author Rachel Reid opens up about Parkinson’s diagnosis amid show's success

Reid was diagnosed in 2023, around the same time Jacob Tierney approached her about adapting her Game Changers series

Rachel Reid has spoken candidly about living with Parkinson’s disease and how the success of the television adaptation of Heated Rivalry has unexpectedly helped her manage the condition.

The author was diagnosed in 2023, around the same time filmmaker Jacob Tierney approached her about adapting her Game Changers book series for television.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition that affects movement and worsens over time. In a new interview, Reid explained how the illness has affected her ability to work, particularly her writing process, which has become increasingly challenging.

“It’s making it hard to write because I can barely control a mouse. I can’t type for very long. It’s hard for me to sit in a chair for very long,” she told Variety’s Marc Malkin. “I need to figure out new ways to write. I don’t know if that will be voice to text. I don’t know if I can write that way. It doesn’t feel natural, but I need to figure out something because it is taking me a very long time to write now.”

Reid then revealed that the visibility of the Heated Rivalry series has led to a major breakthrough in her medical care. She explained that after Tierney appeared on CNN, her diagnosis was mentioned during the interview, which led to an unexpected connection.

“But an amazing thing that’s come out of this though is Jacob [Tierney] was on CNN a few weeks ago. For whatever reason, the interviewer asked him about my Parkinson’s diagnosis,” she said. “The next day, one of the top Parkinson’s experts in the world reached out to me and asked if he could help me.”

Reid added that she had previously been on a five-year waiting list to see a specialist. “Now he’s found me a Parkinson’s expert, a neurologist, and I have an appointment in a couple weeks,” she said, noting that changes to her medication have already helped her sleep through the night, improving her ability to write.

She also shared her hopes for a second season of the Crave series, as the adaptation continues to gain attention.