Lucy Fox

Lucy Fox, my Mom, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease more than a decade ago at age 50. She became involved with The Michael J. Fox Foundation this past year during my fundraising run/adventure of a lifetime on the Pacific Crest Trail. She has quietly inspired for her entire life and she certainly did not lose that gift when she was diagnosed. She has been determined to live an active life as close to the one she led prior to PD as possible. It is safe to say she’s succeeded (her vegetable garden certainly hasn’t noticed a drop in her energy levels). I was asked to describe my Mom’s involvement with the MJFF, so I figured I’d go straight to the source.  Continue reading “Lucy Fox: Inspiring Others at — and Being Inspired by — The Michael J. Fox Foundation” »

John Ryan for Team Fox

I had been working in the Michael J. Fox Foundation offices for two days before I got my first request to run a race for Team Fox. ‘Would I like to run the New York City Half-Marathon on March 18^th?’ they wanted to know. A half-marathon – 13.1 miles… There were many days during my Pacific Crest Trail run that 13 miles was less than quarter of the distance I traveled.  I averaged more than three times that distance every day, for two months. This should be simple, right?  But I wasn’t so sure. It’s been almost 5 months since I ran my last steps to the Mexican border and since then I’ve been a lot more focused on cultivating my couch-sitting muscles than maintaining my running ones. Seriously, I have run a total of 10 miles in the 4-plus months since the PCT. Part of it was physical – I still have 8 numb toes from my days on trail, the other part mental – haven’t I run enough this year, or maybe this lifetime? Anyway, wanting to make a good impression on my new employers, I agreed to run.

Just a few hours later (I think I was at my desk, looking at my schedule, wondering when people with ‘9-5s’ find the time to exercise), Stephanie Paddock showed up with a great idea. She suggested I run alongside another Team Fox member in the race; John Ryan. Continue reading “John Ryan Takes on the NYC Half with Team Fox: “I am crossing that finish line.”” »

Readers of the Michael J. Fox Foundation blog and Facebook page may recognize the name Sam Fox. Sam recently ran the Pacific Crest Trail to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s disease research and to honor his mother, Lucy, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2000. We’re excited to announce that Sam Fox has joined the Foundation full-time as an Engagement and Outreach Officer. In his own words, Sam shares what motivated him to run the Pacific Crest Trail and to join the Foundation.  

I was introduced to Parkinson’s disease more than 10 years ago. The disease is an acquaintance I wish I didn’t have, as the introduction came in the form of my mother’s diagnosis. My parents told me, my brother, and my sister at the same time. I didn’t know what Parkinson’s was, but I could tell it was bad – my dad was looking sternly, straight ahead. My mom was crying. Continue reading “Sam Fox: From Running for a Cure to Working for a Cure for Parkinson’s” »

PD Patients, members of the MJFF research community and Team Fox superstars gathered for a photo shoot in Boston on Friday. It was an amazing day in which we brought together some of the many faces of the Foundation—and the synergies were happening left and right.

Continue reading “Point, Click, Shoot-Connect! The Michael J. Fox Foundation Connects Parkinson’s Patients With Researchers” »

Chris Holt of the San Francisco Chronicle has been following Sam Fox’s epic journey (undertaken from July to October 2011) to raise funds and awareness for The Michael J. Fox Foundation. If you aren’t familiar with the story, Sam (no relation to Michael J. Fox) came up with the completely nutso idea of running the entire length of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail in 65 days or less in honor of his mother, Lucy, who was diagnosed with the disease seven years ago. The Foundation has had its collective socks knocked off by Sam’s courage, perseverance and ingenuity, not to mention his prodigious athletic gifts; we’ve also loved getting to know Lucy and Sam’s friends and supporters including his girlfriend, Chloe, Team Awesome (who supported him on the trail) and Marion Mauran, the documentary filmmaker following Sam around with a camera.

This week Chris published a new Q&A with Sam. A few memorable excerpts: Continue reading “Sam Fox’s Run — 42 Miles a Day for Two Months” »

Team Fox member Sam Fox challenged himself to run the Pacific Crest Trail to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s disease research. He chose to honor his mother, Lucy, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2000. We featured him in the fall 2011 issue of our newsletter, Accelerating the Cure. Read his profile below or click here for the rest of our fall issue.

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2,650 miles in two months. 44 miles a day. 16,000 vertical feet gained or lost each day.

There are countless ways to promote Parkinson’s disease (PD) awareness and raise money for PD research. 24-year-old Sam Fox found one of the most challenging Team Fox has ever seen: running the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail in two months to honor his mother, Lucy, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2000. Sam aims to break the current speed record of 65 days and, along the way, to raise $250,000 for The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Thanks to another challenge — the Brin Wojcicki Challenge — all funds Sam raises will be matched, dollar-for-dollar.

Sam, a Rhode Island native, earned 15 varsity letters in four sports during high school, and the distinction of Rhode Island High School State Champion for the high jump. He continued his education and athletics at Yale University, studying history and high-jumping for the track and field team.

A true outdoorsman and graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School in glacier mountaineering, Sam grew up exploring the outdoors with his family. He readily admits that his hobbies “tend toward what most people would call insane, or at least extreme.”

And extreme Sam’s journey will be: 100 marathons’ worth of rugged terrain and varying altitudes from Canada’s border with Washington to California’s border with Mexico. But his remarkable endurance and love of the outdoors — and his mother — prove that he is indeed capable of accomplishing his 60-day goal.

Prior to his August 25 kickoff, Sam trained on parts of the trail near Berkeley, California, and has taken long runs in the Grand Canyon. In fact, the notion that he could actually do something like this came about during one such hike along the River Canyon last year.

While most of his college friends went straight to Wall Street after graduation, Sam “prefers to be in charge of what I’m doing.” For the last year, Sam has focused on making a difference and putting his body to the ultimate test — all for his mother. “My mom was always outside doing something. If she wanted a greenhouse in the backyard, she’d build it. She still spends time in her garden, grows hops and makes her own beer, but she can’t do any of it as easily or as much as she did before Parkinson’s.”

No matter the outcome, Sam says he will be happy to just finish it alive. “Having a finish line is the most tangible form of success, as I can actually put my finger on what I want to accomplish. I recognize all that my mom has done and the challenges she now faces every day. Sometimes it’s hard to express all of my love and appreciation for my mom, but this is a big way to say it.”

Sam embarked on his journey on August 25 and hopes to finish on October 24. To track his progress along the Pacific Crest Trail and to show your support, visit www.runwhileyoucan.org.