What do Parkinson’s disease and an Ironman Triathlon have in common…Dr. Sara WhittinghamDr. Sara Whittingham is an Air Force Veteran and Anesthesiologist at Cleveland Clinic, Marymount Hospital, and clinical faculty member at Northeast Ohio Medical University.  She traveled the world caring for fellow service members and patients.  In Nov. 2020, at the age of 46, Sara’s life took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease.Sara won a chance to compete at the 2023 Ironman World Championship in Kona.  She used this opportunity to raise awareness about Parkinson’s Disease and how exercise can help people living with Parkinson’s, live a full life.

Time Hague runs the race of his life.Tim Hague Sr. overcame the odds when he went from a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease to winning season #1 of The Amazing Race Canada.  Listen in as he shares the lessons he learned from that experience.  His message is wrapped in the idea of having the strength to do your best, the courage to be content with what your best produces, and the will to persevere.

Billy Kennedy is an American basketball coach who has a winning career spanning almost three decades.  He talks candidly about his diagnosis during a career change, DBS surgery and his approach to living with Parkinson’s disease.

Have you heard that exercise may slow the progression of Parkinson’s Disease?  Are you curious which types of exercise may help?Please join me as I chat with Molly Cupka, Director of Sportrock Climbing Center in Alexandria, Virginia and Founder and President of Up Ending Parkinson’s.  In addition, two special guests, Teresa Bennett and Michelle Sloane,  join in the discussion of how rock climbing has impacted their quality of life. Molly discusses her passion for neuroscience and her love of climbing, which was a driving force in starting a nonprofit, Up Ending Parkinson’s, in May of 2022.  The mission of Up Ending Parkinson’s is to help people develop practices through education, lifestyle changes and rock climbing that will nourish the mind, body and soul.

Are you challenged with non motor Parkinson's symptoms?  Do you experience fatigue and sleep disruptions? Dr. Michael Okun discusses the management of these symptoms and more.Please join me as I speak with world Parkinson’s leader, Dr. Michael Okun.  Dr. Okun is a board-certified neurologist, movement disorders specialist, neuroscientist and author who practices with the philosophy that ‘the patient is the sun’ and should be at the center of all care decisions.Dr. Okun co-founded and co-directs the internationally renowned Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases with his neurosurgeon partner and friend, Kelly Foote, MD. Since 2006.  He also serves as the Medical Advisor for the Parkinson’s Foundation.In addition, Dr. Okun has authored 14 books related to living a full life with neurological disorders including Parkinson’s Treatment: 10 Secrets to a Happier Life and Ending Parkinson’s Disease.Dr. Okun shares his insight and perspective on how to best manage Parkinson’s disease.

Do you have a parent living with Parkinson’s?  Can you imagine what it would be like to have both parents with Parkinson’s?Please join me as I chat with Laura Mosley – Manthey, as she candidly shares her parent’s journey with Parkinson’s and the impact it has had on her life.  Laura inspires those around her with her strong faith and her selfless giving in so many ways. Listen in as she talks about her family life, and the unexpected blessing of freedom to love her mom that came from this time.

Are you curious how nutrition affects Parkinson’s Disease?  Is there a Parkinson’s specific diet?  What about microbiome?  Please join me as I talk with Carley Rusch PhD, RDN, LDN as she discusses how nutrition impacts Parkinson’s symptoms.  Carley coordinated a nutrition program at the UF Health Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases and her PhD research investigated the role of the Mediterranean diet on improving gastrointestinal function in Parkinson’s disease. She is published in Frontiers in Neurology and co-authored other work investigating the role of pre- and probiotics on gastrointestinal health.  She speaks for organizations like the Parkinson’s Foundation and her passion for nutrition and service was acknowledged when she was named the 2020 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year by the Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Please join me as I speak with world Parkinson’s leader, Dr. Michael Okun.  Dr. Okun is a board-certified neurologist, movement disorders specialist, neuroscientist and author who practices with the philosophy that ‘the patient is the sun’ and should be at the center of all care decisions.Dr. Okun co-founded and co-directs the internationally renowned Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases with his neurosurgeon partner and friend, Kelly Foote, MD. Since 2006.  He also serves as the Medical Advisor for the Parkinson’s Foundation.In addition, Dr. Okun has authored 14 books related to living a full life with neurological disorders including Parkinson’s Treatment: 10 Secrets to a Happier Life and Ending Parkinson’s Disease.Dr. Okun shares his insight and perspective on how to best manage Parkinson’s disease.

Season 3 Episode 1: Jon Braddock is a licensed architect with a Masters Degree from MIT and a Bachelors Degree from the University of Florida.  He was diagnosed with YOPD in Jan, 2020 and lives in Ponte Vedra, Florida with his wife and two kids. Join me as I talk to Jon about navigating Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease and coping with the disease during the “best” years of his life.

Please join me as I chat with Allie Toepperwein, as she boldly shares her beautiful journey with Parkinson’s disease and her diagnosis at the young age of 37.Allie has inspired thousands of people as a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, and the first person with Parkinson’s to compete on American Ninja Warriors. She travels throughout the country speaking about her journey and overcoming obstacles.  She looks at life with Parkinson's as a blessing. Thanks to her faith, her family and friends, she is a force to be reckoned with.Listen in as she talks about family life and her marriage to her husband who also has Parkinson’s disease.

In this episode you will meet Allison Ballard, accomplished elite athlete and living successfully with Parkinson’s disease.  Alison faces Parkinson’s disease head on, just like she faces everything else. You will be inspired as Alison shares her view on life, her struggles with Parkinson’s and her recent diagnosis of cancer.

Please join me for a  discussion with Nicole Reynolds, Occupational Therapist and Certified Health Coach, as she explains how movement ties into function.  Nicole Reynolds is an occupational therapist and certified health coach, who enjoys looking from a holistic lens when working with people living with Parkinson’s Disease.  Nicole is certified in LSVT BIG, PWR Moves, and a certified dementia practitioner with over 10 years of professional experience working with those living with Parkinson's Disease.  She not only helps with movement, but also "everything else" Parkinson's affects.

Please join me for a  scientific discussion with Dr. Xiaobo Mao, Associate Professor with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, around future Parkinson’s related therapies and the cure for Parkinson’sDr. Mao is currently an Associate Professor with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine where he has extensive work in the hospital & health care industry. Dr. Mao gained his PhD at the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2010 and conducted his post doctoral training at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2016 where his research focuses on alpha-synuclein proteins and how their misfolding and spread can lead to Parkinson’s Disease.  This discovery holds potential promise for future Parkinson’s related therapies.His discoveries are one of 40 key discoveries in 200 years of Parkinson’s Disease research.

Join me as I chat with Annie Brooks, MSW who currently serves as the Associate Director of Education at the Parkinson’s Foundation. As part of the Education department, her primary focus is providing quality informational resources and programs for people with Parkinson’s disease, their care partners and loved ones, and the professionals who are part of the medical and care team. Annie oversees the Aware in Care and Hospital Initiatives, the Care Partner Program, and the production and distribution of educational materials in English and Spanish. Annie completed her Master of Social Work focused in Community and Social Justice from The Ohio State University and her Bachelor of Social Work from Florida State University. She is passionate about empowering diverse communities to achieve their best health and social outcomes.

Scott Rider and Jim Morgan are embarking upon a cross country, motor coach adventure in an effort to provide the world an educational yet private look into what life is like with Parkinson’s.Scott and Jim are collaborating with Barry Blaustein, an American comedy writer best known for his writing on Saturday Night Live and the screenplays for Coming to America and The Nutty Professor. Leveraging upon Barry’s expertise and creative talents, Scott and Jim plan to produce a video documentary about the trip that they will use as a fundraising tool to benefit the Parkinson’s Foundation.. They will meet with care partners, physicians, exercise experts, and nutritionists who strive to make life better for people living with PD. They will also visit with top clinical researchers and innovative entrepreneurs who are working diligently to help find a cure.

Have you ever wondered if Parkinson's in genetic?  Maybe you are concerned because a grandparent or parent was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.Join me today as my guests from the Parkinson's Foundation explain PD GENEration and how it is used for mapping the Future of Parkinson’s Disease.

Eve Grill is 22 years old and the oldest daughter of Anna Grill, who was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s disease when Eve was very young.  While Eve is embarking on her life as a young adult, having just graduated from the College of William and Mary and working in DC, she still looks to her mom for guidance in every aspect of life.  Eve discusses how Parkinson’s has inevitably impacted her life, but she believes it has brought many blessings to her life as well as her family’s life.  Listen in as Eve shares how she processsed the complex emotions of learning about her mother's diagosis, coping with fear and the unknown, and how she learned to trust her mom to care for herself.   Eve's experience has clearly made her wise beyond her years.

Please join me as I chat with Tom Urtz who shares his inspirational story.  He talks about his journey so honestly from falling down more than 5,000 times in the past few years to his decision to stop driving.    Tom underwent deep brain stimulation surgery in 2012 and retired on disability in 2014.  His speech has been affected by Parkinson’s.  There may be times during the interview that I repeat what he says for the listening audience.

Dr. Mathur is a family physician from Toronto, Canada who resigned her medical practice following a Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis at age 27. Having lived with the disease for over two decades she now spends her time writing, educating, and advocating for those living with Parkinson’s. Dr. Mathur works with organizations such as The Michael J Fox foundation, The Davis Phinney Foundation the Brian Grant Foundation, Parkinson Canda, Lakeridge Health Foundation and co founder of PD Avenger’s.  She is also an author of the patient education and medical blog UnshakeableMD, and she has authored two books, Shaky hands, and my grandpa’s shaky hands.

Karl and Angela Robb - lessons from living with Parkinson's for over 30 years. Join me as I chat with Karl and Angela Robb as they share their experience of living successfully with Parkinson's disease for over 30 years.   They are truly inspirational! Karl Robb has had Young Onset Parkinson’s disease (PD) for over thirty years. With symptoms since he was seventeen years old, Karl was diagnosed at the age of twenty-three. Now fifty-four, he is a Parkinson’s disease advocate, entrepreneur, inventor, Reiki Master, and author of two books (A Soft Voice in a Noisy World: A Guide to Dealing and Healing with Parkinson’s Disease and Dealing and Healing with Parkinson’s Disease and Other Health Conditions: A Workbook for Body, Mind, and Spirit) with his wife and care partner, Angela Robb. He has blogged for twelve years on his website, ASoftVoice.com. He is a Community Team Member to ParkinsonsDisease.net. Karl is a board member of both the Parkinson Voice Project and Parkinson Social Network.Angela Robb is Karl’s wife of 24 years, co-editor at ASoftVoice.com, Community Team Member at ParkinsonsDisease.net, and a Reiki Master. Angela has advocated for caregiver issues by sharing her experiences at various regional and national Parkinson’s conferences, writing for the Every Victory Counts manual from the Davis Phinney Foundation, and presenting at the World Parkinson Congress. In 2015, Angela was honored at The White House as a Champion of Change in Parkinson’s Disease.