Upon my diagnosis at the age of 27, I did nothing to manage my Parkinson’s symptoms for 8 years afterwards. But that changed when I hit rock bottom when I fell down the stairs with my infant son. Fear of the future and fear for my family made me vow to do whatever it takes to take back control
of what Parkinson’s has robbed me physically, mentally and emotionally. I transformed to a new person
with an actionminded positive mindset using exercise to manage Parkinson’s Disease.
In 2012, I joined Team Fox, the grassroots fundraising arm of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research and completed his first marathon. And I
haven’t stopped! Last summer, I took on a new challenge and competed as an American Ninja Warrior
showing all that Parkinson’s does not define me. I continue to share my story to spread awareness and
fund raise towards high impact research that I believe will lead to a cure in my lifetime. Jimmy Choi, a member of The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) Patient Council, was diagnosed with youngonset Parkinson's disease at age 27. After his diagnosis in 2003, Jimmy lived in denial and tried to avoid the disease by remaining inactive. By 2010, he weighed 240 pounds and walked with a cane. After a bad fall, he had no choice but to confront the disease headon and regain control of his life. The rest is history. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx