A Message from Davis Phinney

"It's hard to live under the weight of Parkinson's day in and day out... So I focus on how I can improve the quality of my life, so I can feel better today."

-Davis Phinney

The one thing I learned about living with this disease is to accept every day for what it is. I focus on what's good today, what victories I can achieve today.

With Parkinson's disease, you don't get a big payoff off like you do in winning a bike race. But if you look at the little things, you can get a whole series of good payoffs – points of time each day when you're not under the weight of Parkinson's disease.

One night, I surprised my daughter with a new dress for graduation. She was so happy, and she gave me a big hug. We had one of those special father-daughter moments where Parkinson's disease wasn't in the picture – victory celebrated.

It's hard to live under the weight of Parkinson's day in and day out. One of the most important things is to feel inspired and have a feeling of hope. So I focus on how I can improve the quality of my life, so I can feel better today.

One year later, I continue to enjoy significantly better function. I enjoy working with the Davis Phinney Foundation – inspiring and educating people with Parkinson's disease on how to improve their quality of life.

I also continue to exercise religiously and pay special attention to my diet to maintain good physical condition. This allows me stay active and to encourage my son and daughter in their own athletic endeavors.

At the same time, I still have some minor symptoms of Parkinson's disease – a slight tremor – and I get tired easily. And although I can't just jump on my bike and ride 100 miles with ease anymore, I can still ride. I can still ski, but it's difficult. I still have Parkinson's disease.

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