At 36 I taught salsa five nights a week, played football every Sunday; I had a great group of friends. At 37 I was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease. A neurological disease made famous or infamous by Katherine Hepburn, Mohammed Ali, and Michael J Fox. This disease touches 60,000 new lives a year in the US alone. During my diagnosis, the doctor said about my dancing “I would find another line of work”. At my 38th birthday party I had to be helped across the room by my wife and others that I had dipped, spun and twirled less than a year prior. I remembered thinking “Is this how Mohammed feels?” as I sat there as 50 of my closest friends cried and gave me cards saying how they’d always remember me as I was while I smiled a shaky smile from a face that felt, and looked, like it had been turned to stone. I was not surprisingly, shocked, confused, crushed. And that was enough of that! What Parkinson’s didn’t know was that mother always said to us as children “WE NEVER QUIT! If you’re still breathing you can try”! Quite simply put I don’t understand “giving up” it is just not in my nature. I learned all that I could about my illness and its treatment. Through the love and support of my family, my wife, my friends, and the incredible staff at Johns Hopkins, I improved until I was dancing and playing paintball again.
In addition to his on-field responsibilities, Christopher manages some of the team's front office responsibilties, including fundraising and securing sponsors. His background as an entreprenuer and executive in the electronic gaming industry prepared him for this role. Christopher informs me that team still needs some help raising funds to finance the team. An amount that will likely exceed $60,000 for Team Tremor's inagural season. They are pleased that they have already signed on the world's best paintball equipment manufacturers as sponsors.
To follow Team Tremor this season bookmark the site www.TeamTremor.com. The site is still under construction, but will be up soon. You will soon be able to support the team by purchasing its private label Team Tremor insignia wear. You can wear that as you cheer them on while watching them and other paintball teams compete on ESPN during the 2006 season. Team Tremor will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of clothing and the teams earnings to organizations focusing on treating and curing Parkinson's disease.
