Davis Phinney, Cincinnati Business Leaders Launch Foundation For Parkinson’s Disease Research and Wellness
Davis Phinney, the winningest cyclist in U.S. cycling history, has teamed up with Cincinnati Business Leaders Kathleen Krumme and David Ariosa, managers of Oakley Cycles, to create the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease Research and Wellness.
CINCINNATI, OH (PRWEB) April 15, 2004 -- The Davis Phinney Foundation is
dedicated to supporting research aimed at understanding, preventing, and
treating Parkinson’s disease. The Foundation also seeks to find ways to improve
the lives of individuals challenged by the disease. The Foundation will focus
its efforts on raising funds that will be distributed as grants to laboratory
and clinical research programs that are investigating the causes of Parkinson’s
disease and new, potentially curative therapies for Parkinson’s
patients.
Davis Phinney, 44, is credited as the winningest cyclist in
U.S. history with over 300 National and International victories. In 2000, after
exhaustive medical testing, Davis was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s
disease. He was 40 years old. In 1986, Davis was the first American ever to win
a road stage in the Tour de France. In addition, Davis's cycling career
highlights include an Olympic Bronze Medal (1984), Pan-Am Games Gold Medal
(1983), four National Championship titles, including the coveted US PRO title in
1991. After retiring from racing in 1993, Davis continued using his expertise
and outgoing personality as a television commentator for NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN,
and OLN.
More than one million Americans, cyclist Phinney among them,
live with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative neurological disorder involving
the death of dopamine-producing nerve cells deep within the brain. Five percent
of patients are 40 years old or younger when they show initial symptoms of the
disease. There is no cure for Parkinson’s at this time, and scientists do not
yet know how to slow or halt the progression of this disease of motion, which
gradually robs patients of their ability to move and speak.
Davis,
married to 1984 Olympic Road Cycling Champion Connie Carpenter and the father of
two children (Taylor age 13, Kelsey age 10), now focuses on his family, his
health and the family business, Carpenter / Phinney Bike Camps. Founded in 1986
as instructional camps, the excursions have evolved to cycling vacations
designed for recreational enthusiasts, in both Italy and Colorado. Davis and
Connie are also the authors of Training for Cycling: The Ultimate Guide to
Improved Performance .
The Davis Phinney Foundation will be hosting a
major fundraising event, The Sunflower Revolution, which will take place July 30
and 31, 2004, in Cincinnati, with a benefit dinner and auction to be held Friday
evening, and a 62-mile Foundation benefit bike ride to be held Saturday morning.
Davis, who lives in Northern Italy, will fly to Cincinnati for the event.
Proceeds from The Sunflower Revolution will go to the Parkinson’s Center at The
Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and
University Hospital.
Through the Davis Phinney Foundation, Davis is
assuming the role of Parkinson’s advocate for the first time. He was inspired by
longtime friend, legendary cycling framebuilder Ben Serotta to join forces with
Oakley Cycles, a 21-year-old Cincinnati company that sells fine, made-to-measure
bicycles.
Davis Phinney will be available for interviews the week of
April 12th. He may be contacted by email: e-mail protected from spam bots or by
telephone. Please contact David Ariosa or Kathleen Krumme at the Foundation
513-731-9111.
Kathleen Krumme
The Davis Phinney Foundation
3010
Madison Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45209
Telephone: 513 731 9111
Website: http://www.davisphinneyfoundation.com
Email: e-mail
protected from spam bots
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/4/prweb118449.htm