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Parkinson’s: An Athlete’s Journey is for athletes navigating Parkinson’s, the coaches and clinicians who train them, and anyone who wants real-world strategies for performance and longevity. Hosted by Eric Von Frohlich and Todd Vogt, the show focuses on tactical takeaways: how to train, recover, manage symptoms, and stay consistent when the rules keep changing. Expect honest conversations, tested routines, and guest experts who go deeper on what works.
Eric: [00:00:00] Katie McLoughlin, welcome to Parkinson's: An Athlete's Journey.
Katie: Eric, thanks so much for having me. This is such an honor, and I have to tell you, I am such a fan of yours. I love your content. I love your podcast, and just to be a little vulnerable to start this interview off, when I was first diagnosed, I, I stumbled into your podcast, and it got me through some really dark times.
And being able to see- Oh, that's
Eric: sweet of you to
Katie: say. Yeah. Being able to see people that look like you, talk like you, walk like you, that have the same challenges, but have the same background, it just made me feel seen and heard and validated. So the work you do, like, thank you.
Eric: My pleasure. It, it means, it means the world to me to hear that, so it's super, super nice of you to share.
I appreciate it. I wanna read a quick intro for you. And kind of let everyone know who you're, what you're about. My guest today is Katie McLoughlin, a lifelong athlete and coach who spent her career building and leading [00:01:00] teams and inspiring people around her. In 2023, Katie was diagnosed with young onset of Parkinson's, and a diagnosis that was met with determination and grit that defined her years on the field.
Today, she's challenging the fight into raising awareness and support for the Parkinson's community.
So, it's nice to have a fellow lacrosse player on, on the air. It's, uh, a part of my life I haven't spoken th- about before on, uh, the podcast, but lacrosse was a big part of my life for many, many years.
Katie: For real? Where'd you play? Like, was it, like, high school?
Eric: I played high school, and then I ended up switching schools.
I made the... We had 125 kids try out for freshman lacrosse, I made JV and then got moved up to varsity my freshman year. Wow. And they were the state champions, so it was a, it was a pretty high-level lacrosse team. But it was one of those things in the '80s 70s and '80s in Long Island, lacrosse was [00:02:00] king to every other sport.
Katie: So you gotta tell me what high school it was.
Eric: It was St. John the Baptist High School.
Katie: Oh, yeah. I know St. John. Yeah. Yep, my son goes to St. John's College High School here in DC. He just graduated, but my daughter goes there. I'm from Upstate New York, so I played Garden City in the New York State, finals my senior year, and we lost, and it still, hurts my heart.
Eric: did I mention that I was from Garden City?
Katie: No. You are?
Eric: Yeah.
Katie: I gotta tell you-
Eric: For those that don't know, Garden City is a perennial favorite in lacrosse world for winning championships. Okay. They give kids lacrosse sticks instead of cradles when they're born in Garden City.
Katie: So, except in 1995, when this little, itty-bitty school, Albany Academy for Girls, made it to the first New York State finals and, you know, Garden City, like, super huge.
I mean, you, you know the high school is ginormous, and- Yeah ... I, graduated from a class of 22
Eric: Oh, wow.
Katie: Yeah. [00:03:00] So we
Eric: were- Well, the school that I got switched to when I left St. John's went from 900 kids in my freshman class to 32 kids in the entire graduating class, and didn't have a lacrosse team. And I thought I was gonna be able to play with another school within the league, and it didn't turn out.
So my lacrosse career was truncated a little bit.
Katie: I love that we're diving into the lacrosse conversation because I was super lucky. So I started playing lacrosse when I was in eighth grade, which, you know, at this standard, like both my children literally grew up on the sideline, and most kids start playing when they're, like, in first grade.
Yeah. So I started when I was in eighth grade, and Mr. and Mrs. Michael, Linda and Mark Michael, they put a lacrosse stick in my hand. And Eric, it changed the trajectory of my life. That's actually how I knew something was wrong with me. So I, you know, I went to Fairfield University, played lacrosse there, and from there I coached at Fairfield for a little bit, coached at Randolph-Macon College, and then coached at American University.
And then- [00:04:00] got out of college coaching and just coached, high school and club, and I started working professionally at the company I still work at today. Anyway, when I would warm up my little, you know, second-grade goalies, and bear in mind, when I would shoot, I was like national championship.
Like, poor little Mimi Rubino didn't know what hit her. But, um, when I switched to my left hand, and my hands are ambidextrous, the ball would move out of the stick in a way I never told it to go. And I was like, "Well, that's new." And-
Eric: Wow ...
Katie: that's how I knew something was wrong, 'cause I, felt it in the lacrosse stick.
I felt it... Like, I would always jump into drills, and, like, I could feel something on my left side that just didn't feel right, and it was lacrosse that, told me something was wrong.
Eric: That's amazing. It's, uh, the first time I've heard that as a, uh, diagnostic tool-
Katie: Yeah ...
Eric: is a lacrosse stick. So you're, I take it you're a midfielder?
Katie: yes, but I am super old, and when I played, there were [00:05:00] no boundaries, which is a wild thing to think of, like a sport, like a field sport with no boundaries. But we had no boundaries, and we had no restraining line. So like, everybody played middy, essentially. Everybody did. but it was... I love the game.
I'm super grateful for the gifts that it provides. My son, Wills, is a freshman at the University of Utah, so go Utes. and it's something that I hold near and dear to my heart. It's saved my life on so many levels.
Eric: It's amazing. It's, uh, such a great game. I live in California now, and it's really popular out here.
Katie: Yeah.
Eric: It's amazing to see how, how quickly it's grown from when I was a kid, it was centered around Long Island, Maryland, and Virginia, and Connecticut. And to see it blossom is really remarkable.
Katie: So my son, I had mentioned, plays at the University of Utah, and I gotta tell you, that in itself, the journey
So when Wills was getting recruited to go to Utah, I had just gotten diagnosed, right? So, and it's kind of funny, when my [00:06:00] husband, we met at American University. He was coaching basketball, I was coaching lacrosse, and we fell in love and got married and all the things. And, anyway, long story short, when my son was ready for the recruiting journey to begin, we were like, "We are built for this."
Like, we're former coaches, we're former D1 athletes. Like, we are- Right ... ready for this journey, and then smack, Parkinson's hits me in the face. And everything we were using to assess opportunities changed. Like, my lens changed. And I live in DC. Utah is not an easy drive to go to. And, um, Coach Speaks, who was Willsy's high school coach, I called him up, and I kinda panicked.
And I was like, "Wills is getting recruited by Utah. Like, what if something happens to me and I can't get to him?" And a friend of mine, his name is Pete, who's, was friends with the Utah coach, reached out and said, "I think this mom would really appreciate a conversation." And when Drew called me, the f- only thing I asked of him was, "Listen, I don't care if my kid ever spends a second on the field playing.[00:07:00]
The only thing I care about is that if I send my kid to you, you've got eyes on my boy, that if something happens to me- Right ... you'll be an example. Like, you'll help guide him. But like, I just need to know you're a good guy." And he's like, "I'm a good guy." And I was like, " Done." Like, I, that was all it took. Wow.
And I mean, so you know, it's kind of interesting. You, you live life with this lens, and you get so excited about this monumental moment, and then boom, something changes, and your whole perspective just morphs into something new. And it,
Eric: Yeah, but it's all those years that you trained as an athlete and as a coach that prepared you to deal with Parkinson's in a way that most people are incapable of.
Katie: Well, yeah. I mean, I think the thing about being an athlete, and you know this, repetition, repetition, repetition. Yeah. And, you know, you don't let a rainy day stop you from going outside with a bucket of balls and shooting. You don't let, the fact that maybe you forgot your sneakers at home stop you from figuring out how to run on a treadmill.
Like, As an athlete, it's really [00:08:00] hard for an obstacle to be so big that you can't hurdle yourself over it
Eric: Right. If there's a willpower, that certainly goes a long way to making it happen.
Katie: For sure.
Eric: It's, uh... We have a, a son who plays water polo, and water polo is the equivalent of lacrosse in the East Coast to Southern California.
So it's kind of fun to watch him go through this journey as well, h- watch him develop his aspirations for playing in college and stuff. It's quite exciting.
Katie: So- Water polo's no joke.
Eric: Yeah. It's wrestling and, and swimming.
Katie: Yeah.
Eric: So it's, it's a kind of a unique combination. But I think if it wasn't for that, it would've been lacrosse.
Katie: Such a good sport.
Eric: it's pretty amazing. I'll have to go catch a Ute game.
Katie: Yeah.
Eric: I mean, Utah's not that far from me.
Katie: Yeah. Go Utes. So
Eric: tell me about your diagnosis, because you have an, a interesting story.
Katie: And I think you can probably relate to it a little.
I, I think, you know, I've, I've been very public with what my journey, how it [00:09:00] started, and the number of people that have reached out that say, "Mine is just like yours," is... It's heartbreaking because this is what happened. I told you before. I was shooting. Something was off with my hand. My PCP, Kathleen, who's amazing, was like, "You're going to see a neurologist."
but we thought I had, like, maybe a pinched nerve or maybe I had carpal tunnel. And I made the appointment on January 6 of 2023, and I go in and I meet this woman, this neurologist, and it's COVID, right? Like, c- we're still coming out of COVID, so I had a mask on. And- Right ... um, you know, she doesn't really ask me anything about my life.
She s- right away starts the whole Parkinson's test that I didn't know what it was, but now I know all too well. And when I walked down the hall, my left arm just didn't swing. And, like, so literally she assessed me in, like, two minutes, and before we went back into her office and I sat down, and bear in mind I was all by myself, I didn't have anyone [00:10:00] with me, she just sat me down and she goes, "You have Parkinson's."
And I'm like-
Eric: Whoa ...
Katie: like, no warm-up, no any- Like, just, "You've got Parkinson's." And I'm like, "Ho- hold on." And she's like, "We're gonna wanna do, an ultrasound on your arteries and make sure you didn't have a stroke." And I'm like, "A, a stroke?" And she's like, "And we're gonna wanna check the integrity of your brain to make sure you don't have the Parkinson's with Alzheimer's and dementia."
And I'm like " Hold, hold on." Wow. Like I'm still like hanging onto the word Parkinson's. And then I, I'm like, "Wait, hold on." I'm like, "Back up." And she's like, "Listen, the good news is it's not terminal." And I look at her and I just, I start to hyperventilate and I start to cry. I'm like, "Can I take my mask off?"
She's like, "No." And I'm like, "Oh." So like literally- Wow ... like this woman gave me like no, like no relief. But I just said to her, I go, "You're telling me the disease I have is what Muhammad Ali has and Michael J. Fox has?" And she's like, "Yep." And I'm like, "So you're telling me I'm gonna lose control of my muscles?"
And she's like, "Uh-huh." And I'm like [00:11:00] You literally just gave me a death sentence. Like, I, maybe my heart doesn't stop, maybe I don't die, but everything that brings me- Right, but the light said you
Eric: knew ...
Katie: gone. Like, gone. and then you know what she said to me? I go, "I don't understand. How could you tell?"
She's like, "Well, your face doesn't make an expression." And all I had on was a mask, so what she's looking at, Eric, is, like, from here up.
Eric: Your eyes, right.
Katie: From... Let me tell you something. I am a I am a woman over 40 in downtown Bethesda. I get Botox. I pay a lot of money for this face- Right. ... not to, not to make- Not to
Eric: say anything
Katie: not to say anything. Care of my buddy Megan Mackey. But, like, she didn't even ask, and, like, I, hopefully you can see, like, my face is full of expression. Now, my walk, my left arm doesn't necessarily swing, but don't tell me you're assessing me based on
Eric: my- Yeah, your face is very, very expressive- Thousands-
despite the Botox.
Katie: Ex-
Eric: I can see the Botox fighting to, to eliminate- There you go ... facial expression, but it's losing the battle.
Katie: The, facts. So, I mean, it just, like, [00:12:00] broke my heart, and, you know, thankfully I've got such a great community of people around me. And, um, specifically, you know, the, people that I work with.
I mean, you spend more time with your employer than you do with your family a lot of the times. Yeah. And the people I work with are truly my family. And, you know, m- Melissa Pope and Norman and, and Mike Down, all of which are, they surround me all the time, Mike Stagnitta.
But I walked out of the office, and I texted my group chat that I, that I work with that's at work, and I said, "Parkinson's. Clear the day." And because I had a whole day, like, why would I think I wouldn't have meetings? Like, I didn't think anything would happen out of this, this- Right ... neurology visit.
And, you know, instantaneously my whole team just surrounded me with love and support. And my one friend Mike said, "Listen, number one, like, we don't know if this is true that you have Parkinson's. Like, maybe it's an essential tremor." Like, we all started to go through the, the path of, like, how could...
I can't have [00:13:00] Parkinson's. but as, like, the diagnosis became a little bit more clear, he said, "I want you to meet a really good friend of mine named Evan Calvert." And I'm like, "Who's Evan?" And Mike would always walk around the office with this, Patagonia on with this really cool logo. It was a yeti on a bicycle, and I'm like, "That is so cool."
He's like, "That logo that you love, that's called Bigfoot Endurance." I'm like, "Okay." He's like, "Evan's mom was diagnosed with Parkinson's when she was about your age, and Evan was 16," the same age as my son. And, um, he's like, "I think you two can really find meaning in connecting." And I called up Evan, and we spent probably two hours on the phone, and I just asked him every question I could about his mom and how it was- his life growing up with a mom with Parkinson's and-
Eric: Right
Katie: Evan he is so a part of my family because the Bigfoot community, surrounding yourself with good energy is so essential because with this disease, there are so many things that could happen that [00:14:00] could take you down a path, a spiral that make you go negative, or as I call them, blue days.
And Evan, this platform he created, it literally gave me something I could latch onto to really amplify hope, and it's been it's been such a gift. So I, I'm so grateful. Like, oh, it's funny, as I think about the journey that I'm on- And, you know, Michael J. Fox', book Lucky Man it speaks to me 100%.
I consider myself to be a lucky, lucky woman. And, you know, even though I have this currently incurable neurological disease, hopefully not for long, right? Um-
Eric: Right ...
Katie: throughout life there have been these little tiny coincidences that have just happened, that have just saved me in so many ways. Like, having a lacrosse stick at eighth grade, going to work with a friend who could introduce me to Evan at Bigfoot Endurance.
like, having the opportunity to meet Pat Morrisey. Like, then have the opportunity to meet you. Like, all of these little things just happen, and I'm so [00:15:00] grateful and so lucky for them.
Eric: Well, you have such a great attitude. It, it changes the diagnosis in a lot of ways. You know, when you get your mindset organized and you realize that you can tackle this just like you have every other goal in your life, it's very empowering.
And so it's beautiful to see someone living that as an example.
Katie: you're kind to say, but in the early days of the diagnosis, so when the neurologist with no bedside manner terribly diagnosed me, I have two girlfriends who I met at American University, who are like my sisters.
They're my everything. One is in Charlotte, North Carolina. One's in Baltimore. My one friend, Sarah, who's in Charlotte, shows up at my house completely-- I wasn't even prepared for it. Just shows up, opens the door, gives me a hug, because I had to have the DaT scan to, to confirm the diagnosis. Right. And I'll never forget that day, because that was when I was my bluest, because I had so much hope.
I'm like, "This DaT scan's gonna show that I don't have Parkinson's, that it's an essential [00:16:00] tremor." like- Right ... the three of us just, we talked about all the things that life would, would give to us. And when the radiologist called and said, "It's unequivocal," like, "Your dopamine receptors, like, this, this is congruent with a Parkinson's diagnosis," I felt like all hope was ripped from my heart.
And-
Todd: Yeah ...
Katie: my husband gratefully knows that when my two friends are in town, he just kinda lets them be front and center. And that night we just, we slept in bed, the three of us talking, and I just cried. And I remember saying to myself the next day before they left, " If I am lucky enough to have the support and love around me, I can't let this disease win."
That's not to say I can't- Right ... feel things, but gosh darn it, hot dog, I'm not gonna let this disease take anything from me, because life is too precious, and I've got too much to live for.
Eric: Well, it's, it's amazing that your best friends know when to show up as opposed to make a phone call.
Katie: Yeah.
[00:17:00] It was... I'm very-- Like I said, I'm super lucky
Eric: That's awesome. So how did you go about telling your husband? Let's go back to you get- Oh ... this terrible diagnosis. You reach out to your coworkers first?
Katie: So
Eric: yeah. Or did you tell your husband first?
Katie: Well, I had to cancel my... I felt like I had, I had to cancel the whole day, so I send Melissa and Norman the text, and it just says, "Cancel the day.
Parkinson's." Because, like, I'm a, I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm a bit of a workaholic. And I was like, I, I just had to cancel everything. And then I called my husband, and I, I couldn't get in touch with him first, and I left him a voicemail and I said, "Just call me." And then my very next conversation was my dear friend Megan Mackey.
she works at NIH. She actually specializes in, brain tumors. She's incredible.
Eric: Oh, wow.
Katie: And so I called Megan, and, She picked up, and I just started crying, and I'm like, "Megan, I have Parkinson's." And she's like, "What?" And I'm like, "They think I have Parkinson's." And she's like, "Where are you?"
I'm like, "They want me to get an ultrasound because they think I may have had a stroke." She's like, just taking it in, and [00:18:00] I totally threw her off. And she shows up at my house within, like, five minutes, and at that time, I called my... You know, my husband calls back, and he's completely, blissfully unaware.
Like, he- I didn't even tell him I was seeing a neurologist that day. I just said I was going to the doctor. Wow. And because that's how little we thought anything would come from this. And so-
Eric: Right, or you think there'd be a time lag between the assessment and them breaking the news to
Katie: you. Yeah. Like, like, in my mind, I didn't wanna worry him.
so I was kinda like downplaying what I was going to see, 'cause I didn't think anything was gonna happen out of that visit. So he calls back, and he's like, "What's up?" And I'm like, "Parkinson's." And he's like, "What?" Wow. And Eric, this is the part that's gonna knock your socks off.
About 18 months before, my husband's father was diagnosed with Parkinson's.
Eric: Oh, wow.
Katie: So talk about hitting the jackpot. He's got a dad and a wife with Parkinson's. It's like quite- Right ... like a bookend life. And- I- yeah ... and you know, I will say [00:19:00] the way I've tackled it is very different than the way my father-in-law has tackled it.
And, you know, I think it- Well,
Eric: presumably he got it l- much later in life than you did.
Katie: Yeah. Yeah. But like, having a good medical team matters. And I found Dr., Mundell at Georgetown, and Georgetown has been phenomenal for me. And you know, it's actually kind of funny, my care team at Georgetown, I told you I coached lacrosse, high school club.
One of my former players is now my neurologist.
Eric: Oh, wow.
Katie: Talk about a full- Small
Eric: world.
Katie: That's what I'm saying. Like, all these little coincidences just matter and like I'm on like this lucky path. but like my care team is phenomenal, and I'm super grateful that my PCP, whose father also had Parkinson's, she was like, "We need to not just get you a neurologist.
We need to get you a movement disorder specialist." So like I had people telling me where to go, where my father-in-law didn't necessarily have anybody saying, "You need a movement disorder specialist. You need this. You [00:20:00] need that." Right. So like being able to have access to really good information really truly matters
Eric: Yeah, it makes a significant difference.
It, uh, I can't emphasize enough finding and building a team around you. Yeah. You know, whether it's for emotional support and having a therapist, or it's your neurologist, or your movement specialist, or your nutritionist, or the list goes on and on. It, because it affects every part of your life. You can, you know, work with a speech pathologist.
You can work with people with, for your expression, despite maybe not the Botox, but the, the rest of it. Yeah ... maybe that's a thing. Maybe, maybe, like, Parkinson's is a good, disease to get if you want to not do Botox.
Katie: Well, so, so I mentioned I get the Botox in my face to, to make me look younger, but, I also get, I don't know, do you suffer from dystonia at all?
Eric: not really.
Katie: So- I've been
Eric: pretty fortunate.
Katie: So January [00:21:00] 6th, I told you, is the initial day I was diagnosed. so January 5th, I've always been, like, an active runner. Not a great runner, but, like, an active runner, and my mile time was, like, eight minutes on January 5th. January 7th, when I got on the treadmill, my mile time was 16 minutes, and I- Oh,
Eric: wow
Katie: like, my whole body just all of a sudden, like, this is the power of the mind, right? Like, my body basically was like, "You can't move." Like, "You can't run." And I had had toe curling, which at the time I didn't know that that was dystonia, and that's probably, like, the symptom that makes me the most angry.
Not the tremor, but, like, the dystonia in my left foot. So I get Botox injections in my leg, and Oh, they are painful.
Eric: Yeah, but your feet must look very young.
Katie: They do. They look fantastic. It's funny, when Megan, like, goes to shoot me in the face, she's like, "This may hurt." I'm like, "It's not gonna hurt as bad as a needle this big in the shin, so fire away."
Eric: Exactly. it's amazing how [00:22:00] when you get your diagnosis, all of a sudden, many of the symptoms show up very quickly.
Katie: They do. they do, and it's like you also think back to, like, I've had this for so long. It's like I've been living with Parkinson's, like in my mind, now that I know what the symptoms are, I had been living with Parkinson's easily four years before my initial diagnosis.
Like,
Eric: I- Yeah, I agree. Uh, uh, same thing for myself. I went down the, path of looking for things that were muscular or-
Katie: Yeah ...
Eric: nerve-based and skeletal and, you know, the things that were kind of hitting my expertise, never thinking that it could possibly be Parkinson's. But when I got the diagnosis, I was thankful that, it wasn't ALS or something that was, similar in nature but more dramatic and more, uh, impactful.
Katie: So it's so funny that you say that because on January 5th, I mentioned my son plays... Well, he just graduated from Saint John's College High School, which they have- Mm-hmm ... an incredible basketball team, and the head [00:23:00] coach at Saint John's, the former head coach, young guy, like 30, was diagnosed with ALS, and they were- Oh, wow
they were playing IMG, so on January 5th of 2023, So anyway, we're there, and I'm watching the coach on the sideline, and there was this moment that I thought to myself, "Could I have ALS?" Like, I knew, like I, could- Right ... start to feel there was something neurological happening.
But I remember standing there thinking to myself, "Could I have ALS?" And when the doctor sat down and she said Parkinson's, for a hot second, I, like, was like, I got confused with Parkinson's. Like, all of a sudden, like my mind started to, to, kind of confuse the two, which is why I needed, like, confirmation and understanding about the disease that she literally just threw at me.
but yeah, I mean, you know, there's so much science and research that's happening and, you know, when I think about what I want for a cure, I don't just think about Parkinson's, I think about ALS as well. Like, anything neurological, I
Eric: think- [00:24:00] Right, it's ALS, it's Alzheimer's, it's dementia
Katie: Dementia. Yeah.
all of the big ones. like I'm just... I'm so hopeful that science will find a solution for all of these things.
Eric: I agree with you. From your lips to God's ears.
Katie: Mm.
Eric: it's impactful. So how long was it before you got your second opinion?
Katie: Like a month. So that was January.
I think February 22nd maybe. I can't remember the exact date. I got into Georgetown, and I met with Dr. Mundell, and she did the whole this, and like, you know, the whole, Parkinson's diagnostic test. And, um, when she did it, she was looking at it, and she's like, "I can see a very slight difference."
And my aunt has an essential tremor, and, there's a family history of an essential tremor. And so Dr. Mundell's like Could be Parkinsonian, it could be an essential tremor, but let's give it some time. I want you to come back on October 10th of 2023 and let me just assess you then. And let me tell [00:25:00] you, from February to October, I thought I could train the heck out of Parkinson's.
Eric: Right, just like
Katie: Like, I was like literally like in the mirror like do, do, do, do, like I, tapping my foot. Like I am training for the test, right? and I remember Evan called me the night before and he's like, "You're gonna be okay. You're gonna crush it." And he's like, "Whatever happens, we're gonna tackle it."
And I was like, "I got you covered, Evan. Like, but like I'm good. This is an essential tremor." Which by the way, essential tremor is like no walk in the park, but I'm like, I'm like totally gonna be an essential tremor. I sat down, Dr. Mundell was super sweet, and at the end of it I go to her, I'm like, "What do we got?"
And she's like, "I could kick the can down the road and say come back in about another six months and assess you." She's like, "But She's like, "In my opinion, it's Parkinson's. Between the DaTscan, between what I'm seeing." She's like, " you have a Parkinsonian tremor." And I was like, I didn't wanna fight her, and I could see my husband that he wanted to ask some questions.
And I just looked at her and I go, "Okay, now we know what we're dealing with. Let's, what, what do we do?" [00:26:00] Right. "What do we got? And I didn't let myself cry. I just looked at her and I'm like, "What are we gonna do about it? Like tell, like, let's fricking go." And when we got into the car, my husband, who obviously was super distraught by the news, I looked at him and I said, "Tonight we're gonna tell the kids."
And at the time my son Wills was 16, Lulu was 12. and he's like, "I don't wanna tell them." And I was like, "You know, with all due respect, this is my story to tell. We're gonna- Right ... we're gonna tell them." And he's like, "Why do you wanna tell them?" like there's nothing to, there's nothing to show."
And I said, "I want them to know their mom is a fighter, and I want them to see their mom fight with everything she has, and I want them to really just lean into the moments that we have." And he's like, "Okay." He's like, "Let's just, let's do it. Like let's be thoughtful." And we're driving into the neighborhood and I said, "Stop the car."
And he's like, "What?" I'm like, "I just need to walk for a m-" Like I had to gather my thoughts. And I called up [00:27:00] Evan and, uh, he's like, "What do we got?" And I'm like, "It's definitely Parkinson's." He's like, "What are we gonna do?" And I'm like, "We're gonna raise a shit t-", sorry. "We're gonna raise-" No, a shit ton of money is good.
Yeah. Okay. "We're gonna raise a shit ton of money." And he's like, "How are we gonna do it?" I'm like- Give me a second, I'll call you right back. also, I should tell you, like, the backstory on Evan. So you can't tell from sitting here, I'm like, uh, I'm a tiny woman. I'm five foot two, like 111 pounds.
Like, I'm a tiny woman. Oh,
Eric: wow.
Katie: Evan is a giant. He's like seven feet tall. He's ginormous. He played lacrosse at Harvard, so he's an, an incredible athlete, and he's super smart. So anyway, I'm like, "Evan, give me a second. I'll call you right back." I call up our friend Lindsay Teeters, who's the head lacrosse coach at American University, and she's like, "How'd we do?"
And I'm like, "It's Parkinson's." And she's like, " What are we gonna do?" And I'm like, "Lindsay," I'm like, "We're gonna raise a shit ton of money." She's like, "How are we gonna do it?" I'm like, "Through lacrosse." She's like, "I'm in." Amazing. And we decided right then and there we're gonna do the Bigfoot Lacrosse [00:28:00] Classic.
And, I called back Evan. He's like, "What you got?" And I'm like, "We're doing lacrosse." He's like, "How did I not think of that before?" I'm like, "I have no idea." I'm like, "You're doing all these trail runs. We play lacrosse. We're gonna play lacrosse." Right. And, um, and when we started the lacrosse tournament, it really gave me a platform to really thank the sport that has given me so much, but also the platform to really educate all these young athletes how important it is to live a life with exercise and fitness and wellness, but playing team sports, learning to rely on people, learning how to ask for help, in addition to competing and being aggressive and knowing the value of just hard work.
that's the beauty and that's the gift that youth sports should be
Eric: I agree, and it's the gift that Parkinson's can be also because you're building a team-
around yourself, sorry, I get all emotional when we dive into these topics of, like, people showing their true, true nature and being strong and [00:29:00] fighting and, you know.
I felt the same way with my kids with, letting them know. Yeah. And each one of them, I have a 22-year-old, I have a 14-year-old, and a nine-year-old.
Todd: Wow.
Eric: And each one of them has had a different version of me because the 22-year-old spent most of her adult life with me before I had Parkinson's, so she got a, a much different experience than my nine-year-old, who didn't see me basically without Parkinson's.
So, the importance of your kids being able to see you transition and fight and work through this challenge is probably the one of the greatest life lessons that they can ever have. It's,
Katie: um- having the Bigfoot Classic, because both my kids play lacrosse, and the community through the Bigfoot Endurance platform, it gave my kids an opportunity to grab onto something to make a difference.
I think part of the trepidation in telling the children was like, what kind of control, what kind of impact? Like, now they know something's [00:30:00] terrible with mom, and what are they gonna do? And being able to give them something, like, "Well, we're gonna raise money.
We're gonna do something," that they can be a part of, I think gave them a little bit of control over something that there's no control over. Do you know what I mean?
Eric: Right, and, and it gives them the choice to understand how to be compassionate and, make sacrifices and be understanding to people because everyone's going through a challenge that we really know nothing about.
Katie: So
Eric: true. You know, and to extend that, grace to people instead of being quick to judge them and put them in a box is invaluable, particularly for young people because it affects how they go about living their lives and the decisions they make,
Katie: Yeah.
Eric: So it's, it's great that you were able to share that with them and give them a platform where they can make a difference and contribute to finding a cure.
Katie: I have to say this. I, because i- my, I love my children with my whole heart, and i- the community at their high school really wrap themselves around me in such a [00:31:00] meaningful way. And, you know, n- not feeling alone is such a gift because I think with this disease, it can be so isolating. and, you know, when you think, when you read research on the disease you and I both have, depression comes along with it.
isolation- Yeah,
Eric: apathy ...
Katie: apathy, right? All the things. And like I said, I'm, I take such gratitude and pride in being able to have connections through community, and I'm so grateful that my children have that because My biggest fear, even on the day that I heard the diagnosis, my mind went to, "I'm never gonna be able to have a catch with my kids," or, "I'm not gonna be able to go dress shopping for when my daughter gets married or have the first dance at, the wedding."
Like, all these negative thoughts go into your head. And, thankfully, I'm surrounded by people that I can look to that pull me out of that. And I gotta tell you, your podcast is one of those things that I look to to kinda keep me from the blue days. so [00:32:00] Jimmy, Jimmy Choi, who you've had him on your podcast, he's awesome.
Eric: Yeah.
Katie: when... I remember I was doing a workout and it was really hard, Eric. Like, my left side wasn't moving, my left kick wasn't coming, and I felt so defeated. And I laid on the floor of my basement, and I decided to look at my phone and start Instagram scrolling. And I saw Jimmy Choi, who I'd never saw before in my entire life, saw him post a video for Movember.
And all of a sudden- Right ... I was like, "This is awesome." And it took me out of that, like, that blue day like this. So, like, thank you again for the work that you do and, like, like, there are so many incredible people in our community that are just living life so successfully and winning every day, and I'm just, I'm so grateful.
I'm just so grateful.
Eric: Did you see, did you listen to the, the podcast with Mike McCastle?
Katie: Yes, I totally did.
Eric: And, you know, he talks about the example that his [00:33:00] father set for him. And, uh, this is where I get emotional again. you know, you're, everything that you're doing, your kids are seeing and witnessing.
And so to be strong and to be able to fight And whether you do that quietly or you do that with, some expression and some motivation, doesn't really matter. But they're noticing how you're dealing with this. And, you know, I hope that I have that same impact and I'm the best version of myself for my kids so they, they, they can realize that when you're overcoming adversity, it's not necessarily a straight line, but it's a direction that you choose to move in.
And it's impactful, particularly when you're surrounded with great people And you and I both have, have been fortunate to surround ourselves with great people, so it's ... I'm very thankful for that.
Katie: Well, you bring up a great point, right? Parents. Like, we were both diagnosed young enough, right, where our parents are still here.
And we, as our own parents, you never wanna see your child struggle. Yeah. And even though I'm 49, my mom and dad still kinda treat [00:34:00] me and look at me like I'm five years old. I mean, to the point where my mom- ... my mom will still yell at me, like, "You're up awfully late. You gonna go to bed?" And I'm like, "Yes, Mom, sorry."
But, um, I will never forget this. We were driving home to Albany for Christmas. I go home for Christmas, and I love going home to spend time with my family. I'm one of six kids, big Italian family. Anyway, the drive to Christmas, I listened to Michael J. Fox's book, Lucky Man, and it ... Actually, the the video or the audiobook stops as I'm pulling into my mom and dad's driveway.
Like, the book ends, and the book was amazing. And my mom and dad are standing on the front porch, like waiting to see me. And my dad is this little, tiny Italian man. He came here when he was 18, thick, thick accent, and he's a hard worker. I get all my grit from my father. I run up the steps, and I just give them a hug, and my dad's like, "What's wrong?"
And I start to cry, 'cause I'm filled with so much gratitude from listening to Michael's book. I'm gonna get emotional. And my dad just hugs me super tight, and he just says, he's [00:35:00] like, "You're gonna be okay." And I just look at him and I go, "Dad, I have Parkinson's." And he's like, "But you're gonna be okay." And he just hugged me like he could squeeze it right out of me, but he couldn't.
And he pulls me into the living room, and he's looking at the tremor in my hand. And he holds it, and he's like, "Missy," 'cause that's what he calls all of us daughters. Like, not, not- Mm-hmm ... not individual names. There's too many of us, so everybody's Missy.
Eric: Right.
Katie: And he just looks at my hand, and he applies pressure, and he's like, "Missy, look, it's gone."
And the tremor goes away, 'cause it does when you apply pressure, but it comes right back.
Eric: Right.
Katie: Right? And it came back, and I go, "Dad." And it was this moment of, like, realization that he couldn't stop it. And my dad- Right ... and he just cried. And I gotta tell you, Eric, that was, like, a moment I was not expecting.
Like, telling my kids I knew was gonna be hard, but I didn't put myself in my parents' shoes until that moment where I was like, "I'm- Right ... I'm their baby." Like, it ju- it just was such a [00:36:00] surreal moment.
Eric: Well, thank you so much for sharing that. Apparently we're both criers.
Katie: I know, we
Eric: are. Yeah. Ironically, Parkinson's makes you more emotional.
Katie: It-
Eric: That's one of the things I've certainly noticed.
Katie: It definitely does. It's ... Do you find ... I know your Parkinson's diagnosis story I don't think is that indifferent to mine.
Eric: Yes. It, it was a little different, in that I spent a year thinking it was muscular or skeletal or something that I could just out-train and outwork.
I got my diagnosis, with a neurologist, and then he set me up with a movement specialist to see, who was brought in to run the, neurological department because the president of Hope Hospital's wife had Parkinson's. So they had this amazing woman that was running the department, and I was fortunate enough to work with her.
And she did the same, test and then said, you know, "Can you come back in two weeks and, we, we can talk?" So I had some time to digest the possibilities of the [00:37:00] diagnosis. Yeah. And again, you know, I was mindful that it could very well be ALS or something much worse.
So when I got... When she finally told me it was Parkinson's, I had a name for the thing that I was dealing with.
Todd: Yeah.
Eric: And I realized that a lot of the symptoms that were showing up that I had been dealing with for a while were in alignment with Parkinson's, if I had that lens to look through.
So it was a bit of a relief. And then the beauty of it is that I loved exercise, so when they told me that exercise was my best hope- Your
Todd: medicine ...
Eric: my medicine, I was like, "Well, that's something I can do, and it's something I love, so, you know, I'm gonna use Parkinson's as an excuse to go to the gym more."
Todd: Yeah.
Eric: And, uh, I... And that worked out really well, but I, I didn't share it with my larger community, which was a short-sight on my, behalf. I should have known better. And about six months later, I was training two, three workouts a day, and feeling great. I ended up coming down with a back [00:38:00] injury.
Todd: Ah.
Eric: And it was psychosomatic as far as I was concerned, but the pain was real, and I couldn't work out anymore. And life very quickly got dark.
Katie: Yeah.
Eric: And, you know, I went through a, a bout with depression for about a year and a half, two years, and apathy, and kinda got hit hard with not being able to exercise.
Couldn't walk my dog.
Todd: Yeah.
Eric: Couldn't really do anything that... And, and didn't have anyone to really share it with. So it was a painful lesson, but one that I came to appreciate when people share with their community as quickly as possible, their diagnosis and get the support that they need and the, support and love that they deserve.
Katie: Do you find... So I'll share this, 'cause, you know, now we're best friends, and I'm, I'm telling you all the things. I, um-
Eric: Exactly ...
Katie: I had a mammogram this morning, and, I had put it off for... So the last mammogram I had was in 2023. I know it's 2026. Like, shame on me. I should get my mammogram more frequent than I did.
[00:39:00] Right. But I was so afraid, because when I was told I had Parkinson's, up until that day, Eric, I lived life thinking I was totally invincible. Like, you know- Right ... confident, and the fact that I live a healthy life, I felt like there was nothing I couldn't take on, there was nothing I couldn't handle. But hearing those words, they made me feel so- vulnerable in so many ways.
And I gotta tell you, today when I got my mammogram, I cried. I was so afraid, and the nurse was like, "Are you okay?" And I'm, I just kept saying to her, "I have Parkinson's." She's like, "Okay." And I was like, " Just whatever happens today, just please be mindful. Like, just be..." And I said to her, I'm like, "Just be thoughtful and care, and just whatever you tell me today."
And, and, you know, thankfully my, my mammogram was all clear, which was great. But I get-
Eric: Congrats.
Katie: Yeah, but I get so triggered, by things now.
Eric: Yeah, it's amazing how you, you start to look life through a lens of what am I losing and, you know, today's the best I'm probably gonna feel- [00:40:00]
Todd: Yeah
Eric: for the rest of my life. So you have this, you know, this YOLO, like, you only live once attitude on experiences, which, you know, there was Instagram was running, a loop of people, when, when was the last time you fed your child? When was the last time you tucked them in bed? When was the last time you carried them?
you kinda, you get into that same kinda mindset that, you know, when's the last time that I may do something or be capable of doing something? So you have a tendency to wanna maximize life and, which we should all do. We, you know- Yeah ... I can take an example from my Labrador and be enthusiastic for everything that comes up.
Yeah. You know, if I grab my car keys, he's, he's excited. He's excited if I walk in the room. He's excited if I open the door. He's excited when I give him his food. And so finding that excitement and that enthusiasm for life is, even though we may not show it because of our masked face-
Todd: Yeah
Eric: it's kind of remarkable.
The problem is, is that we, very well may lose chapters of our life or things that we [00:41:00] previously enjoyed, but life is ever-changing, and as much as Parkinson's is challenging, everyone, if they live long enough, experiences a degree of Parkinson's-isms within their own life. There's a time when an athlete, when they're maybe 70 or 80, can't do what they did when they were 20, and so they have to come to terms with that in the same kind of way that we come to terms with it at a younger age.
and there's lots of examples of that where, just old age and wear and tear kind of take a toll on you that isn't dissimilar from Parkinson's. And so everyone's kind of going through it. They just aren't going through an accelerated pace of it.
Katie: Yeah. Yeah. you know, it's funny, there's a, a quote, whether people like it or they, they don't like it, I kinda hear mixed reviews, but, "Comparison is the thief of joy."
did you know that one? Yeah,
Eric: definitely.
Katie: Right? So as an athlete, you, definitely compare. You compare your progress. You compare your stats, right? That's just what we do, 'cause you wanna always- Yeah ... strive for perfection. And I remember [00:42:00] I had a blue day, and I was talking to a friend of mine, Hillary, who I coach with at St.
John's in Maria, and I remember saying, "I just can't do what I used to." And she's like, "None of us can really do what we used to." She's like, "But think- Right ... about what you're doing today." She's like, "You can get on a pull-up bar and bang out 10 pull-ups. I can tell you there are some 20-year-olds that are pretty active that can't do two."
So like- That's
Eric: right ...
Katie: like you s- may not be able to run the eight-minute mile that you used to on January 5th, but you can do so many other things that like, that your body still allows for. Like, like just kinda lean into that and take pride in that for a hot second.
Eric: Yeah, I think th- you know, you, although you can't do what you used to do the way you used to do it, you can still do a version of it in some degree.
Yeah. And so, you know, Larry Grogan ran 100 marathons in 100 days-
Katie: And that's crazy ...
Eric: you know, with Parkinson's.
Katie: Yeah.
Eric: And so you look at that, and it, kind of inspired me to pick up and go back to my childhood passion of jujitsu, is because [00:43:00] life is challenging. Just sitting on the floor, you know, has all these restrictions on your movement.
And I figured what was a better example than to make life intentionally hard, go back to jujitsu, start training again, and, and wrestle with people and have people try to hold me down. And it became a great metaphor for, you know, Parkinson's. Because if I can deal with Parkinson's, I can certainly deal with grappling with some grown, men.
Katie: So my favorite workout, I work out just like you every day, and my favorite workout is boxing, which is a- Oh,
Eric: great ...
Katie: it's such a great workout in the Parkinson's world. But it's such a great workout regardless you have Parkinson's or not. So my coach is a gentleman, Segwe Suleiman, and he's actually a professional fighter.
he is like the bright light of my life. This guy, he radiates just, like, his smile is so electric. And when I walk into the gym, and I may- Oh,
Eric: that's amazing ...
Katie: I may have not slept at all because you can't sleep with this disease. And, like, the lower- Right ... back pain, which is so real, and I walk in [00:44:00] and he's like, "Hey, Kate."
And then he's just so smiley. I'm like, "Oh, we're just gonna have a great session." But, like, I gotta tell you, with all the workouts I've ever done, boxing is the hardest, most gratifying exercise I've ever done in my whole life. Um-
Eric: I'm glad to hear you say that.
Katie: Oh, I love it. I mean, I'm so addicted
Eric: That's great.
And do you, how often do you do that?
Katie: I try to go two days a week. The two days fluctuate, and I feel terrible 'cause it's nor- like it's Tuesday, Thursday, or Thursday, Saturday, but sometimes I'll wait. And are
Eric: you doing that one-on-one or is it in a class?
Katie: No, I do it one-on-one. It's interesting.
I used to do CrossFit and I used to do, like, the big class, and when I got the Parkinson's diagnosis, all of a sudden classes I couldn't do. I, so I very much, I like the one-on-one. So I have, I have two coaches. I have Coach Sula, who's my boxing coach, and I go to his gym two days a week and it's awesome.
And then Sula's a strength and agility coach, 'cause he's a professional fighter. He comes to my house Mondays, Fridays, and we train at 5:00 [00:45:00] AM. and that's awesome. So, like, Coach Tony puts me through the ringer. We do, like, a ton of agility work. We do a lot of, core work, because, you know, one thing I've noticed since this disease has taken over me, like the slump.
so I train- Yep ... really hard to keep, like, my shoulders back and my core tight. so I do that with Tony. And then the boxing, the coordination, oh, it's so good.
Eric: Yeah. Do you do a lot of foot ladders?
Katie: Oh my God, all the time. And, um, I travel for work a good bit. I'll pack a ladder with me. So, like-
Eric: Oh, that's great.
Katie: Oh, yeah. So, like, we had this executive leadership retreat and we were in, like, these cabins in Virginia, and I pulled out my ladder and, like, my one coworker, she was like, "What is that?" I'm like, "I gotta get my workout in." She's like, "You pack a ladder?" I'm like, "Yeah." I'm like, "You wanna do it?"
She's like, "No, I'm gonna go inside and have a glass of wine." I'm like, "Oh, I'll join you in a minute." But yeah, you just, you have to make... I mean, to your point, like, this is another, like, data point of how lucky I am. Of all the diseases I could have, the one [00:46:00] that the only way to slow it down is exercise and fitness, like-
Eric: Right
Katie: I am here for that. I
Eric: mean, it really is a gift.
Katie: That is such a gift. I love it. And I have to tell you, thankfully everybody knows from my husband and my children to my friends how important my workouts are. So they don't let me miss, they don't let me quit, but they also give me the allowance to say, "We'll hold dinner for you.
You work out." Like, "We'll wait so that you-" Oh, that's
Eric: great ...
Katie: because it's so important.
Eric: I'm sure you feel very relieved that you shared this with your kids because for them to have a name for what you're going through is, it's gotta be very empowering.
Katie: yeah.
And, you know, they've become, they've become mini advocates, which is amazing. So like, you know, their friends on the lacrosse team. So like my son, he just graduated from St. John's, and he's a freshman, and, but the boys on his lacrosse team have-- And this is interesting, Eric, and you can relate 'cause you're, you once were a, you know, a high school boy.
I [00:47:00] never expected the level of empathy the way these boys have shown me. So, the lacrosse teams at St. John's, the girls and the boys, have been incredible supporters of mine. But the boys totally surprise me. Like, 'cause this one boy, Rocket, he's now a freshman at Penn State. He's so good. He had my initials on his helmet.
and- Aw. I mean, so cute. And like, there's another boy, Jaden James, who's one of the best lacrosse players in the country. He's a, D pole over at Syracuse. he competed in this thing called the Nilly Games, and he dedicated a portion of his winnings to Bigfoot Endurance. And another boy, Mack, gave me all of his winnings.
And I just wasn't... I wasn't expecting, and I was so floored by the level of empathy of these young men, and more importantly, like, the fact that they're aware about what Parkinson's is, what it means to, to support me. But like, this awareness that they have, it's, like, so inspiring. Like, I think a lot about my legacy.
Like, I think a lot about, like, the impact I wanna have on [00:48:00] the world. Mm-hmm. And the fact that, like, Jaden James is an advocate for Bigfoot Endurance or that, like, Rocket had my initials on his, helmet, the fact that, like, they think of me, and they think of me as this strong force, it gives me motivation to just continue what I'm doing, right?
especially when you, you feel like you can't.
Eric: Yeah, it's kinda like, you know, the, that Charles Barkley comment about, "I didn't do this to be a role model, but I'm doing it to be a role model."
Katie: Yeah. Yeah. I
Eric: you know, you can sign me up for that.
Katie: Yeah. Well, I mean, with these young athletes, like when you think about like the troubles and tribulations that you have when you're young, and y- your whole world is consumed by something that now you look back on and you're like, "God, I wish I would've known this when I was younger."
My message to these young athletes, especially the girls, but also to the boys, is there's nothing you can't handle. Like, there's nothing in this world that when you start each day, when your feet hit the ground, there's no reason why [00:49:00] this day ahead of you can't be the best day of your life.
But more importantly- Yeah,
Eric: absolutely ...
Katie: right? Like, but like more importantly, when somebody tells you you can't, just have that belief inside of you that you can. And like so frequently I'll say to the girls that I coach, like, "If you ever need somebody to tell you that you are strong and you are confident," I'm like, "you call me up, because I got your back."
And I, again, I think back to how lucky I am. My coaches, Linda and Mark Michael, when I was in high school, you know, it's funny, when I got my diagnosis, I hadn't spoken to them in probably, I don't even know, 15 years. And I said to my sister Jenny, I'm like, "I need to call the Michaels."
And she's like, "Why?" And I hadn't told my sister that I've had Parkinson's. I was keeping it a secret from my family. Uh-huh. And I called up the Michaels, and Mrs. Michael picked up the phone, and she's like, "What's up?" And I'm like, " I have Parkinson's." And she's like, "Okay. What are we gonna do?" And I'm like, "I need one of your pep talks.
I need one of your speeches." Yeah. Because the power of a coach that the, the, a coach's power over a young athlete is so inspiring and meaningful. Like here I am at 45 with a [00:50:00] Parkinson's diagnosis, and my high school coach, I needed him to tell me I got this.
Eric: that you're gonna be okay.
Katie: To persevere. And like,
Eric: yeah. It, it's amazing because, you know, with the right mindset, you can take something, you can take the what if and flip it around. It doesn't have to be what if I can't walk, or what if I can't think, or what if I lose parts of my identity, and just flip it around and say, what if it's the best day of my life?
What if I'm stronger because of this? Yes. What if I'm more compassionate because of this? And so it's just a matter of how you wanna answer that question that determines, you know, whether you're gonna have a good experience or not not a good experience. Yes. And that power is given to every person.
It's just a matter of realizing it, that's an option.
Katie: Are you familiar with the story of the bumblebee?
Eric: You should share it.
Katie: Okay. So the story about the bumblebee is that when you look at a bumblebee, aerodynamically, it's not supposed to fly. the wings in proportion- Right ... to the weight of the actual bee itself, it shouldn't fly, but it does [00:51:00] anyway because it doesn't know it can't.
Eric: Right. No one ever told them the, uh, the bumblebee can't fly.
Katie: Yeah. My friend Hillary shared that, and I think-- and I had never heard of that story. Like, I only heard that story, like, maybe a year and a half ago, and, like, it's ... I think about it so often. Like, I think of, like, when on the days when, like, the lower back pain, which is so real, which I don't-- Why do we have to have that with Parkinson's?
it hurts.
Eric: Yeah, it's just because your core, your core is tight, and you're not working your glutes enough.
Katie: I, yeah.
Eric: So-
Katie: Add it to the list. I need to add that to my training schedule. But, like, my lower back was in so much pain, and I'm, like, hobbling out into the field, and she's like... And she told me the story of the bumblebee, and I was like, "You know what?
I'm telling my back it can't. Like, I can. Like, I can. So anyway, that story of the bumblebee is a, good inspirational-
Eric: It's, it's a powerful metaphor- Yeah ... that's for sure.
Katie: I love it.
Eric: It's, uh... So, so you've alluded a couple times to Bigfoot. Yeah. Why don't you tell me how that started and tell me what you guys are doing because it's obviously a passion of yours.
Katie: [00:52:00] So Evan Calver is the, founder of Bigfoot. Evan is a mountain of a man. He is brilliant. He's gifted. He's empathetic. He's all the amazing things. When Evan was 16 years old, his mother was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's. and his mom, although I had never met her, what he shares about her is so inspiring.
She was fit. She was athletic. she used her hands. She crocheted, I think is what he used to say. but anyway, when he graduated from Harvard, he played lacrosse at Harvard, he was looking for ways to fight for his mom, and he got super into trail running, and he decided to do a race in honor of his mom, and he created Bigfoot Endurance.
And he, on, like, a napkin, drew this crazy yeti, which I can't believe I don't have a piece of the logo in front of me. It's so cool. And that started Bigfoot Endurance, and he did this 5 mile, 10 mile trail run in Columbia, Maryland, and he raised money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for his mom. Now, enter our friend [00:53:00] Mike Downe, who connected the two of us.
I think the year before I was diagnosed, Evan's mom passed away from complications with Parkinson's, and when I connected with Evan and he shared the story of, like, his mom, all I wanted to know was, would my kids be okay, right? That's, that was what I wanted to know, and Evan so graciously said I wanna help you.
Like, I can be your advocate, I can be your friend, I can just be somebody that you can call up and vent to and listen to because I've, I've been through it. Like, I know, Like, I got you, Kate, right? Right. And, um, when I called him up and I said, "I wanna do something with Bigfoot," he's like, "Let's do it." And so we both share a common passion with lacrosse.
Lacrosse is a gift that's given us so much, and so what I said to him, I go, "We need to have a lacrosse tournament." And he's like, "I can't believe we never thought of that before." So the Bigfoot Lacrosse Classic is a sixes tournament. it's really centered around y- youth girls, so seventh and eighth grade.
this year we're playing at American University on October 4th, and it's just a super [00:54:00] fun day where we celebrate movement and we celebrate the gifts that playing a team sport gives all of us. And, this is actually really special about this year's event. So it's October 4th at American University, and Lindsay Teeters, who's the head coach at AU, which is a, a good friend of mine, and AU means a lot to me 'cause it's where I met my husband.
It's where I met my two best friends and I coach there. Fairfield University, where I am in the Hall of Fame, I played at Fairfield, coincidentally, this is another coincidence, is gonna be down here in Maryland. And so Lindsay scheduled a fall ball scrimmage, so our tournament is gonna kick off with a scrimmage between Fairfield and American, and then we'll go into- Oh, wow
which is awesome, which will then go into the girls' sixes tournament, which is so great. But we sell amazing swag and it's so fun, and every dollar that we raise goes to, the Michael J. Fox Foundation. And so the girls that compete, we don't charge them a registration fee. We don't charge them anything.
The only [00:55:00] thing we ask is, we want you to fundraise for Bigfoot Endurance. So these girls not only learn about the disease, but they actively are a part of advocating and fundraising for research. Um-
Eric: Oh, it's beautiful ...
Katie: it's, it's, awesome. And on that day, you know, I share with them how important and special they are to the fight and how impactful they can be, and that their voice has power, and their ability to create movement and to create change is, really impactful.
And so it's, it's just a great day. It's a great day.
Eric: Amazing.
Katie: Yeah.
Eric: And
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Todd: And if you have a topic you want us to tackle, send it in. We'd love to hear from you.
Eric: Thanks for listening. Catch you on the next one.