Parkinson’s disease is a devastating illness. Every year, up to 60,000 new cases are diagnosed, and that’s in addition to the one million people who are already battling the neurodegenerative brain disorder.
While it progresses slowly, its effects change the lives of not only Parkinson’s patients, but the futures of their families. Symptoms can last for years, taking away a person’s ability to regulate his or her movements, body and emotions.
And while PD itself is not fatal, complications from the disease are listed at the 14th top cause of death in the United States.
People like NBA executive John Gabriel and activist John Alexandar are doing what they to raise awareness, and of course actor Michael J. Fox’s public battle with PD has led to great strides in research, funding and hope. All three of those people know personally the toll that Parkinson’s can take.
So does Petty Officer Michael McCastle, whose father died from complications of PD in 2014. Not willing to stand by and do nothing, the sailor is bringing to attention to the cause. Recently, he broke a world record and raised nearly $2,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, all in tribute to his late father.
In just under 27 hours, McCastle climbed a 20-foot rope a total of 29,029 feet — the height of Mount Everest. This follows other fitness fears — he’s also set a world record by flipping a 250-pound tire over 13 miles, for the Wounded Warrior Project, and came just 828 pull-ups short of breaking the Guinness World Record for the most pull-ups in a 24-hour period. He’s also run 50km for cancer research and raised more than $15,000 for various charities.
McCastle, who is 28, says he wants to live every day in his dad’s memory, telling Growing Bolder:
“My dad was a strong and gentle man of very few words. The greatest advice he gave me was in how he lived his life day to day. I’m inspired by his spirit and will to fight despite all the adversity he faced from Parkinson’s Disease to several other illnesses. He fought until the end and never complained once. Whatever life threw at him, he always faced it with a smile and he never quit. Even though he’s gone, I feel his hand guiding me in every challenge I face and I always will.”
McCastle goes on to tell Growing Bolder that he did this event to honor his father and bring awareness to the millions of people worlwide still suffering from the disease and still holding on to that rope.
“It’s about the cause,” McCastle said. “Raising awareness is always first.”
Before the attempt, McCastle spoke with KING-5 TV in Seattle.
McCastle, who joined the Navy after the September 11th attacks, does all of this under his “Twelve Labors Project,” an effort based on the mythology of Hercules with the intention of inspiring people to challenge themselves and give to others.
“‘Twelve Labors Project’ is a call for action. It is the personification of conquering our inner demons and anything preventing us from achieving everything we are capable of being. It’s about giving back through charity, standing for something greater than ourselves and challenging our physical and mental limits on the journey of discovering our life’s purpose,” according to the Twelve Labor’s Project website.
McCastle is recovering from the Mount Everest challenge but is already looking to his next feat — stay tuned!
Learn more at http://www.twelvelaborsproject.com.