Davis Phinney Foundation in the News

BOULDER, Colo. — Like any proud father, Davis Phinney marvels at the man his son has become.

It is not because Taylor Phinney juggles his senior year’s studies at Boulder High School while training as an elite cyclist. Or because he speaks fluent Italian. Or that he is, according to his coach, Neal Henderson, “physiologically phenomenal,” a perfect combination of his parents.  What makes Davis Phinney most proud is something more personal. “To get the benefit of me,” he often tells his son, “you have to be somewhat responsible for me, too.”  And he has been. Nothing has made Taylor, 17, grow up faster than watching his father’s body decay.

Phinney, 48, was a brazen sprinter and the star of the 7-Eleven professional cycling team in the 1980s and early ’90s. He was a risk-taker with beefy biceps, nicknamed Thor, the Norse god of thunder.

Now, he fights his stiffening body just to roll over in bed because of the ravages of Parkinson’s disease, an incurable neurological disorder that attacks a body’s mobility. He leans on his son, his daughter and his wife, Connie Carpenter, a two-sport Olympian. They help butter his bread, button his shirts and open his pill bottles.

In return, Phinney has put treating his illness, and his pain, on hold.

On Wednesday, Taylor will compete in the individual pursuit at the world championships in Manchester, England. He is tied for third in the overall world rankings and could earn a spot on the United States team for the Beijing Olympics by finishing seventh or better. If he wins, he will secure his place at the Games in August.

Whether Taylor talks about his Olympic dream or his family’s challenges, the philosophy remains the same.

“The difference is not accepting that you will lose, just deciding not to give up,” he said. He thanked his father for teaching him that.
Davis Phinney is in England for the championships, nine days before he is scheduled to have a brain operation to ease the symptoms of his disease. He could have had the operation sooner, but he wanted to watch his son and allow him to race with a clear mind.

“You have to wait until you’re really ready to have people drill holes in your head and stick probes in your brain,” he said. “I didn’t want to worry Taylor, or have it affect him negatively, and I know it would have, because that’s just the dynamic of our family.”

It Is in the Genes

Championship DNA courses through Taylor Phinney’s 6-foot-4 frame.

His father remains the leader in race victories by an American, with more than 300. He was the first American to win a road stage of the Tour de France. At the 1984 Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the team time trial.

Taylor’s mother was 14 when she finished seventh in the 1,500-meter speedskating event at the 1972 Olympics. At the University of California, she became a national champion in rowing. She won the gold medal in the debut of Olympic women’s road cycling in 1984, 10 months after marrying Phinney.
Carpenter, 51, likes to say that she went fast — as a speedskater, a rower and a cyclist — because her mother could not. Her mother, Darcy Carpenter, battled multiple sclerosis while raising four children. She died at 55.

“When you have a parent with a disease, I think it gets inside of you and changes you very subliminally,” Carpenter said. “My mother would look at me and say, ‘I don’t know how you do all of these extraordinary things.’ And I would think, how could I do these things? Me? My gosh, you are the one who is extraordinary.”

She sees that same brilliance in her husband, whom she coaxes out of the house for a hike or bike ride, even when he feels miserable. “Let’s just try,” she will say.

Friends and family call her “broad-shouldered Connie” because she seems to bear everyone’s burdens. She handles her son’s travel plans, fills out his drug-testing paperwork and accompanies him to races in China and Australia. She drives her 13-year-old daughter, Kelsey, to Nordic ski practice, then rushes home to cook.

“My sense is that Connie is the one that really knows what struggles are ahead and what life will be like down the road for Davis and her family,” said Ron Kiefel, a former teammate of Davis Phinney who remains close to the family. “She knows the potential end game, but she is not one of those people who crumples up and falls apart when there’s a challenge. She’s a superwoman.”

Her husband started an organization in his name, the Davis Phinney Foundation, and gives motivational speeches to Parkinson’s patients, pushing them to celebrate every victory, however small, like tying their shoes. The high doses of medication he needs to get through those talks cause side effects, like the involuntary swaying of his head. But he endures.

Carpenter senses that Taylor is inspired by his father’s determination to stay positive.

“It has shown him how much you can impact others and how cool it is to be known for something,” she said. “There’s a magic to that, and I do think it lights T’s fire.”

On a trip to the 2005 Tour de France, Taylor, then 15, fell in love with the family business. He needed only two years to become one of the world’s best track cyclists.

His first bike race was in 2006. Last year, he won the time trials at the junior road world championships. In October, a month after riding on a velodrome for the first time, he won the United States elite track nationals.

Excluding Taylor, the average age for the top dozen riders in the individual pursuit is 28. The cyclist in second is twice Taylor’s age. Surrounded by others with experience, he indeed draws motivation from his father.

“I remember him being very playful and fit all the time, so it’s hard for us to see him struggle the way he does,” Taylor said. “I know sometimes he wishes he could pull me up some hill, drop me at the end and sprint away, but there are little things he does for himself where he finds happiness. It makes me feel good for him to see my results, because I enjoy making him a little happier than he would be every day.”

The Onset of Parkinson’s

Davis Phinney always felt invincible.

But in his 30s, his left leg began to cramp and tingle. His left foot would go numb or drag. He was often exhausted and had difficulty concentrating.

Doctors suggested that his symptoms could be a result of a bike crash in 1988, when he flew through the window of a team car. Or it could be a brain tumor.

About 1.5 million Americans have received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, but only 5 to 10 percent learn of it before age 40, according to the National Parkinson Foundation. Davis Phinney was among the few.

Here was a handsome, outgoing pitchman for cycling in the United States who had to quit his job as a TV announcer for bike races because he could no longer hold a microphone. He was facing a disease that would steal his independence. His son was 9, his daughter 6.

“Back then, the kids were more concerned about having mac-and-cheese for lunch; they didn’t think their father was different than anyone else’s,” Carpenter said. “For us, it was devastating. I don’t think anything prepares you for the news that you basically aren’t ever going to get better.”

Phinney had no place to hide. In public, people sometimes thought he was drunk because he moved slowly and slurred his words. At home, he felt uncomfortable, his body turning rigid as if locked in a suit of armor and his left hand shaking so violently that he often sat on it to keep it still.

“It’s miserable, like the permanent scratching of fingernails on a chalkboard,” he said.

In 2002, the family decided to start over, trading life in Colorado, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, for one in Italy, in the foothills of the Dolomites.

They relied on their Carpenter-Phinney bike camps to pay the bills as they settled into a house in Marostica, Italy, a medieval town with cherry trees, green hills and vineyards. There, the family worked together to help Phinney manage his disease.

Carpenter did not mind running the family’s camp and the house while Phinney spent time with the children. She knew they were on the clock.

Phinney was changing fast. His face took on a mask-like expression. He fell into depression, embarrassed by the stares, exhausted by the trembling. He began to take medication but knew its effectiveness would diminish over time.

“It’s very easy to disappear into your own personal closet and disappear from society,” he said. “I know that feeling acutely.”

When home alone, his wife would gaze from a rear window at the rolling hills. An olive tree was in the backyard, and a small church, St. Agatha’s, was in the distance. She often painted to ease her mind.

“There’s a lot of sadness to see your best friend go through something like this,” she said. “It can be really painful. It would be foolish to think that I didn’t lose something, too. It isn’t fair.”

Trying to Win Back a Life

In January, Phinney spoke to Parkinson’s patients at a speech therapy clinic in Boulder.

“The disease does strip some of our basic abilities away,” he told them. “But that doesn’t mean we have no control over it.”

Parkinson’s often softens a person’s voice, so he encouraged them to reconnect with people by speaking louder, making eye contact and forcing a smile.

“It’s just those little bits of joy that make you feel better,” he said, as audience members wiped away tears. “I know it’s just so easy to not do that, but you have to try.”

Though he has skipped most of Taylor’s far-off races because the travel is so arduous, Phinney said he never would have missed seeing his son at the world championships.

Then, whether Taylor wins or loses, Phinney will finally have his brain surgery.

Next Friday, he will undergo deep brain stimulation, an effort to control some of his symptoms. Electrodes will be placed in both sides of his brain. A pacemaker-like device will be put in his chest.

Dr. Jaimie Henderson, a neurosurgeon at Stanford University Medical Center who will perform the operation, said he hoped Phinney would focus on his recovery.

“I know Taylor is doing great things, but sometimes you have to put everything else aside and start worrying about your own health,” he said.

In rare cases, these operations can lead to coma and death, Henderson said, though he expects Phinney’s to go smoothly. He said this could allow Phinney to take less medicine. It could, he said, “give him his life back.”

The operation could result in slurred speech or trouble remembering words. Phinney admits to being scared, though he has not yet told Taylor many of the details.

In August, if all goes well, he intends to be in Beijing, a new man watching his son ride fast, as he once did.

“I could easily slip into a very, very dark place with everything I’ve lost, so I have to focus on the pinpricks of light to stay positive,” he said. “But with Taylor, it’s easier. I just look at what he has been doing, and I’m instantly connected to a magnificent source of energy.”

 

The first stage of surgery to help cycling great Davis Phinney in his battle with Parkinson's disease was successful Friday, the same day the International Cycling Union released rankings that confirmed Phinney's 17-year-old son, Taylor, is about to become a U.S. Olympian.

Surgeons at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif., spent about 41/2 hours embedding two wires in a section of Davis Phinney's brain, doing so without complication. Next week, they'll attach a pacemaker to those wires, and when that machine gets turned on later this month, doctors believe some of his Parkinson's symptoms will be immediately relieved.

"Everything went very well, very, very well," said Dr. Jaimie Henderson, the director of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at Stanford and Phinney's surgeon.

The 48-year-old Phinney, the husband of 1984 Olympic gold medalist Connie Carpenter-Phinney, could be out of the hospital as early as Saturday.

Around the same time t hat Davis Phinney went into surgery Friday morning, the UCI confirmed that Taylor Phinney is the third-ranked individual pursuit cyclist in the world, which means USA Cycling will nominate him to the U.S. Olympic team later this spring.

All Taylor Phinney needed for that Olympic nomination was to be ranked in the top five among those not already qualified for the individual pursuit in Beijing. He only began competing in the event six months ago, and is already the reigning national champion in that discipline.

"There's a lot going on for us right now," Connie Carpenter-Phinney said.

Davis Phinney is a former U.S. Olympic cyclist and the first American to win a stage of the Tour de France. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2000, after exhibiting some symptoms of the progressive disease for several years.

One Small Pebble.

The Davis Phinney Foundation (DPF) held its first fundraising event in Cincinnati Ohio in 2004 called the Sunflower Revolution.  The small event ended up being both a great time and a success, raising $100,000 that went directly to The Neurological Institute (TNI) at the University of Cincinnati. 

With those funds, and the succeeding attention and credibility that the DPF brought them, TNI was able to attract two highly recruited researchers from Rush University in Chicago, Dr. Caryl Sortwell and Dr. Tim Collier to be part of their team.

The research efforts and reputation of the Institute continued to blossom with ongoing support from the DPF and the Parkinson community.  And Dr. Sortwell and Dr. Collier’s grant approval for $1,000,000 in funding towards their research projects from the NIH and the Michael J. Fox Foundation was a milestone for the University.

The DPF event team also added a patient and caregiver symposium to the Sunflower Revolution, as a supplement to the gala dinner and mass participation bike ride.  In 2006, a woman living with Parkinson’s disease named Joan Gardner attended the symposium.  She was so impressed with the speakers and content that she prompted TNI to apply for a grant from her family’s foundation. 

At the annual Sunflower weekend in September of 2007, over 500 patients and caregivers attended the symposium to listen to members of the DPF Scientific Advisory Board (representing research institutions from Ohio, California, Texas, and Colorado) discuss the latest Parkinson’s research and therapies.   And the highlight was TNI proudly announcing a $5,500,000 grant from the James and Joan Gardner Family foundation, to be used exclusively for Parkinson’s research. 

How one small event, like a pebble thrown into the sea – ended up creating a very big wave. 

 

Davis Phinney owns a bronze medal from the 1984 Olympics. While with the famous 7-Eleven cycling team, he became the first American to win a Tour de France stage. So when he refers to two Durangoans as "representative of what humans can accomplish," that's saying something, right?

Like Phinney, Cheryle Brandsma and Joe Goulet have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. It's a debilitating, degenerative neurologic condition for which there is no present cure.

Goulet (acquaintances know him as Joe "Fly"), who just turned 65, and Brandsma, 61, have taken to heart Phinney's main mantra: Exercise is vital in fending off the symptoms of Parkinson's. Last month the pair rode most of the 79-mile Copper Triangle that begins and ends in Copper Mountain.

Brandsma and Goulet didn't set out to become inspirations for Phinney. Just two months ago Brandsma had spent almost no time on a bike since being diagnosed in 2003; a loss of body control made her leery of bicycles and skis.
Goulet rides regularly, although last year he finished just half the mountainous Copper Triangle. He'd begun collecting pledges for the Davis Phinney Foundation, the main charity for the two-year-old event, and hearing about that inspired Brandsma to get back on her bike again.

In three weeks, Brandsma simultaneously trained and sent out a couple hundred letters asking for contributions. By the time they gathered up their bundles of donated checks, she'd raised $9,535 and he'd raised $2,560.

They showed up at race registration with the booty, and Event Manager Scott Olmsted was blown away.

"You stay right there. Stay right there," Olmsted said, according to Goulet. "(Olmsted) went and got Davis Phinney and explained to him what we were doing." Suddenly Goulet was face-to-face with a cycling legend.

Goulet found several commonalities with Phinney - cycling, skiing and Boulder among them. Goulet earned his master's at the University of Colorado; Phinney grew up in Boulder, and lives there now with wife Connie Carpenter-Phinney (1984 Olympic gold medalist in road cycling) and two children.

The event sets a limit of 3,000 riders, and most enter with little thought of the $10 portion of their fee that goes to the Phinney Foundation. Having riders with Parkinson's and who'd raised thousands of dollars was rare.

"When they showed up with $10,000 cumulative in checks I was just stunned," Phinney, 48, said last week via phone, not long after he'd returned from an hour-long ride. "It really made my whole summer to have Cheryle and Joe come to the event, and they had so much impact."

Phinney - who, incidentally, rode a couple Iron Horse Bicycle Classics as a teenager in the 1970s - retired from pro cycling in 1993 and became a noted cycling TV commentator. He gradually developed "mysterious symptoms" - his foot was dragging, he was tired and got muscle cramps. During a broadcast in Australia he couldn't hold the microphone steady, and that spurred him to find out what was going on.

Early-onset Parkinson's disease, doctors finally agreed in 2000. Phinney was 41. While the condition usually develops after age 65, 15 percent of those diagnosed are younger than 50, according to the National Parkinson Foundation Web site.
Parkinson's affects 1 in 100 people older than 60, and the average age of onset is 60. (Goulet was diagnosed at age 63 and Brandsma at 56, although the actual onset was probably prior to diagnosis.) It affects 1.5 million in the U.S., making it the most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's.

Without getting too detailed and technical, a brief description of Parkinson's: Certain nerve cells in the brain stop producing an important chemical (dopamine), which allows the body's muscles to move in coordination. When 80 percent of these cells fail, Parkinson's symptoms appear.

Those symptoms include tremors, rigidity and problems with balance. When their medication isn't helping, both Goulet and Brandsma said, they walk as if drunk.
Parkinson's is a cruel disease, Phinney noted. "You don't get cured of this disease. You're living with this alien being that's eating away at all your basic capabilities, this erosion of so many things you take for granted."

Goulet, who moved from Boulder to Ignacio in 1977 and taught in the area for 25 years, said that physically he can do 75 percent to 80 percent of what he could do before Parkinson's. But he faces the thought that "a year from now it might be down to 50 percent."

On Aug. 4, perhaps inspired by their meeting with a world-class athlete, the two Durangoans overachieved. Brandsma rode 61 miles and Goulet about 70, including the 15-mile, 3,400-foot-altitude grunt up Vail Pass.

"It really knocked the snot out of me," Goulet said. "I got to the top of Vail Pass and I just clipped out, stood there and looked around 'cause I was half in the bag. I could hardly tell where I was after that climb."

Said Brandsma, whose husband, Maynard Brandsma, rode the whole way: "I was really surprised I was able to do that much. And I was surprised I was able to walk the next day."

It takes mental fortitude to keep battling the ravages of Parkinson's, Phinney said, and that's why Goulet and Brandsma inspire him. It's easy to sit on the couch, to skip exercise when you're tired. His foundation emphasizes exercise and attitude, and the two Durangoans typify that.

"Don't wait for a cure," Phinney said. "Let's live as best as we can today."

By John Peel, The Durango Herald
September 10, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 5, 2007

CINCINNATI – There won’t be an "official winner" of Sunday’s Sunflower Revolution IV bike ride, but ride officials will be keeping time, so it won’t be any secret who finishes first. And with at least one former Olympic cyclist in the field, it’s a fair bet that the pace at the front will be one of the fastest – if not the fastest – ever seen in Cincinnati.

"You’ll see these guys going very fast – a good 40 miles per hour in some spots," said Jonathan Grinder, Sunflower Revolution ride director.

The event, presented by the Boulder, Colorado-based Davis Phinney Foundation, is officially a ride, not a race. But the new "platinum challenge" will inject a competitive element for the first time. To win the platinum award, cyclists must finish the 100k (62 miles) in 2 hours, 45 minutes – an overall average of 22.5 mph.

The 100k begins at 7:30 a.m., and Grinder is expecting the first cyclists across the finish line at about 10:15 a.m.

Cyclists who complete the 100k in less than 3 hours, 15 minutes will receive a gold medal, and those who finish in less than 4 hours will receive a silver.

To register for the ride, please visit www.davisphinneyfoundation.org. The registration fee is $80, $40 of which qualifies as a donation for tax purposes. Proceeds benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation, which supports Parkinson’s disease research and wellness at The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital.

The event begins and ends at Nisbet Park in Loveland, Ohio. The 40k ride and a new, family-friendly ride of 10k will begin at 9 a.m. Grinder is expecting 600 cyclists to participate.

Celebrity riders include Rob Portman, former Director of the Office of Management & Budget, and former Ohio Governor Bob Taft.

The scenic, rural ride will take cyclists through Warren County and the communities of South Lebanon, Maineville and Morrow. The ride is supported with rest stops, bike technicians and 30 sheriff’s deputies, who will help control traffic.

Cycling legend Davis Phinney, diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 40, plans to ride in one of the events. Phinney was the first American to win multiple legs of the Tour de France. He won an Olympic bronze medal in 1984. Also riding in the Sunflower is former Olympian Wayne Stetina, a vice president with Shimano USA.

The Sunflower Revolution also includes a gala, presented by the University Hospital Foundation, on Friday at the Westin Hotel. A free educational Symposium & Expo for physicians and patients, presented by The Neuroscience Institute and the Mayfield Clinic, will be held on Saturday. For additional information about the three-day event, please visit www.sunflowerrev.org.

Presenting sponsor of the event is Great American Insurance; platinum sponsor is Cintas.

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 Neuroscience Institute, a regional center of excellence at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital, is dedicated to patient care, research, education, and the development of new treatments for stroke, brain and spinal tumors, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, trauma, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2007

CINCINNATI—University of Cincinnati (UC) scientists have received grants totaling $180,000 for research into Parkinson’s disease.

The funding was provided by the Colorado-based Davis Phinney Foundation,whose October 2006 Sunflower Revolutiongala and bike ride in Cincinnati raised $300,000 for Parkinson’s research. All the UC recipients are affiliated with the Neuroscience Instituteat the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital,

A $50,000 grant went to Kim Seroogy, PhD, a UC neurology professor, and James Herman, PhD, professor of psychiatry, to continue their research into whether clinical depression accelerates the progression of Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological disorder involving the death of dopamine-producing neurons deep within the brain.

"Depression is very common in Parkinson’s, and is often said to contribute more to the lowered quality of life than the debilitating motor symptoms," said Seroogy, director of the Selma Schottenstein Harris Laboratory for Research in Parkinson’s. "This is detrimental in and of itself. But it’s also important to understand depression’s effects on disease progression, and whether it exacerbates symptoms and the loss of dopamine cells in the brain."

Seroogy and Herman will study the phenomenon in rodents exposed to stress that mimics depression.

If their study shows that pre-existing and simultaneous depression increase nerve degeneration, the information can be used to test antidepressants and other drugs that protect the nervous system. "The goal, of course, is to slow neurodegeneration and improve the quality of life for Parkinson’s patients," Seroogy said.

The Sunflower Revolution also funded a clinical study of the effects of the surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS) on balance and gait, an animal study tracing development of Parkinson’s disease years after a toxic exposure, and a clinical study to separately measure two aspects of "bradykinesia," the slowing and constricting of movement and reflexes that are characteristic of Parkinson’s.

DBS involves stimulating an area of the brain associated with movement. Fredy Revilla, MD, head of the Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders at the Neuroscience Institute, received $45,000 to study how DBS affects balance and gait, in the hope of improving doctors’ ability to determine which patients will benefit most from and how to maximize the effectiveness of the procedure.

Timothy Collier, PhD, professor of neurology, received $40,000 from the foundation and has also been granted access to a unique collection of tissue, at a facility in St. Kitts, West Indies, from animals that developed parkinsonism many years after being exposed to a toxin. The animals’ brains provide a dual-risk model: toxic exposure followed by aging.

"Documentation of parkinsonism that results during a long lifespan—and many, many years after an early toxic exposure—will provide the best evidence yet in support of one likely cause of Parkinson’s," Collier said. "If we can identify events that occur during the long interval between an initial ‘silent’ exposure and the appearance of symptoms, we may be able to recommend medical or lifestyle changes that could halt the progression of degeneration and prevent the appearance of symptoms."

In the bradykinesia study, Alberto Espay, MD, an assistant professor of neurology, will apply his $45,000 Davis Phinney funding to separately studying slowness of movement and breadth of motion, to better understand how medications affect the two conditions. "It’s remarkable that bradykinesia, the defining feature of Parkinson’s, remains so poorly understood," Espay said.

The 2006 Sunflower Revolution ride, which raised $300,000, earlier funded an effort to determine whether deep brain stimulation protects dopamine neurons in rodents affected by Parkinson’s. Headed by Caryl Sortwell, PhD, associate professor of neurology, that study received $120,000.

The Davis Phinney Foundation supports research to understand, prevent and treat Parkinson’s disease, which affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans. In 2006, the foundation named the Neuroscience Institute and Stanford University as its first Davis Phinney research centers.

"We’re proud to support these important and original studies," said Davis Phinney, a world-renowned cyclist who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 40. "They will further our mission to slow the progression of Parkinson’s, while improving the lives of those who are battling against it."

This year’s Sunflower Revolution IV events are scheduled for Sept. 7 (gala), Sept. 8 (educational symposium and expo) and Sept. 9 (bike rides of 10, 40 and100 kilometers).

The Neuroscience Institute, a regional center of excellence at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital, is dedicated to patient care, research, education and the development of new treatments for stroke, brain and spinal tumors, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, trauma, and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2007
USA Cycling and Filmmaker Scott Coady announced plans to raise $500,000 for collegiate cycling and the Davis Phinney Foundation by visiting 21 college campuses in 21 days across the entire United States in what is being billed as The Collegiate Tour, Baby!

Mimicking the format of the legendary Tour de France, each stop will be considered a "stage" of the "tour". And, just like in the Tour de France, collegiate teams across the country will vie for the opportunity to host a stage of Coady’s Collegiate Tour. Each stage of the tour will be a fundraising event which will include a screening of Coady’s cult film – The Tour Baby! - chronicling his adventures following the entire 2000 Tour de France, silent and live auctions, raffle and party with surprise guests from the pro peloton. Each college team hosting a stage will be encouraged to work with the local cycling Parkinson’s communities to ensure each stage of the tour is a success.

USA Cycling, which created the National Collegiate Cycling Association in 1985, is very pleased to team with Scott Coady on this ambitious project that enthusiastically endorses the idea and is throwing its support behind the undertaking.

"Scott’s enthusiasm and proven ability to raise money for causes he believes in are unparalleled," said Sean Petty, USA Cycling chief operating officer. "The athletes competing in collegiate cycling today represent the future of the sport here in America and can use all the support they can get. The Collegiate Tour, Baby! is also a wonderful way in which the collegiate athletes and their communities around the country can work together to support one of the true heroes and legends of the sport, Davis Phinney and his battle with Parkinson’s. Let’s face it, without Davis; American cycling would not be what it is today."

Phinney is also excited about The College Tour, Baby! "Scott Coady is my good friend and huge supporter of The Davis Phinney Foundation’s mission to improve the lives of people living with Parkinson's disease. Scott's significant contributions to our national fundraising efforts are greatly appreciated. We are truly ecstatic to have someone with Scott's proven fundraising experience on our team."

The 21-day tour will cover 5,000 miles as it winds around the country. When asked how he plans to accomplish the audacious goal Coady responded, "I have learned that when you work to support a worthy cause, and do it with others as a team, anything is possible. I am very excited to begin working with the collegiate athletes around the country to do something extraordinary to support the future of cycling and the Davis Phinney Foundation. However, none of this will be possible without the help of corporate sponsors. And, just like the Tour de France, The Collegiate Tour, Baby! will provide many excellent opportunities for our sponsors to support these worthy causes and be recognized as great corporate citizens."

Interested sponsors should contact Tour Organizer, Jessi Pacetti, at jessi.pacetti@gmail.com. Collegiate teams interested in hosting a "stage" of the Tour should contact Daniel Matheny at dmatheny@usacycling.org.

About Scott Coady
Scott Coady is cyclist, pro-cycling fan, filmmaker and fundraiser. He made his first film - The Tour Baby! - to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation in response to his best friend's daughter being diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer and has raised over $250,000 for non profit causes.

About the Davis Phinney Foundation
The Davis Phinney Foundation has a single mission. It is to improve the lives of people living with Parkinson's disease. We fund innovative research that will make lives better today while working to prevent and cure this crippling disease tomorrow. The DPF tagline, 'Every Victory Counts', comes from bicycle racing. Crossing the finish line first, with hands raised in a victory salute, is a cycling trademark. However, that feeling, the elation associated with accomplishment, transcends sport. Davis Phinney believes that by choosing to focus on the positive aspects of life, while living with PD - or with any challenge – is a victory. Furthermore, having a good team in place – of supporters and care-givers – researchers and physicians - is integral to success.

About USA Cycling
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 60,000 members and 2,500 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information visit www.usacycling.org or contact, USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2007
Neuroscience Institute to study brain stimulation’s potential to protect dopamine cells in Parkinson’s disease

$120,000 grant for novel study provided by Davis Phinney Foundation’s Sunflower Revolution III

CINCINNATI – Acting on an observation by physicians that a surgical treatment for Parkinson’s disease appears to slow disease progression, scientists at The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital have launched a laboratory study that could one day alter the current timetable for surgical intervention.

Physicians have long been able to neutralize some of the most debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including tremor and slowness, by stimulating an area deep within the brain. But whether this procedure, known as deep brain stimulation (DBS), also protects the brain from further deterioration remains unclear.

Researchers at The Neuroscience Institute will probe that question in a study supported by a $120,000 grant from the Davis Phinney Foundation’s Sunflower Revolution, an annual fundraiser and bike ride held in Cincinnati.

“The Davis Phinney Foundation is pleased to support a study of this importance and originality,” said Rick Tallman, the foundation’s executive director. “Clarification of deep brain stimulation’s role in neuroprotection could have important ramifications for thousands of people with Parkinson’s disease.”

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological disorder involving the death of dopamine-producing neurons. The Neuroscience Institute researchers will strive to determine whether stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus, an area of the brain associated with movement, confers protection of these dopamine neurons in rats compromised by Parkinson’s disease.

“The study is clinically relevant,” said Caryl Sortwell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Cincinnati and the study’s principal investigator. “There are anecdotal reports from physicians who see patients a number of years after deep brain stimulation. Doctors have observed that when the stimulators are turned off, the patients’ decline is less than what they expected to see.”

The study brings together investigators from four academic disciplines: Dr. Sortwell and Timothy Collier, Ph.D., from the department of neurology; Michael Behbehani, Ph.D., from the department of physiology; Jack Lipton, Ph.D., from the department of psychiatry; and George Mandybur, M.D., of the department of neurosurgery.

The scientists will implant high-frequency stimulating electrodes in the rats and will take precise measurements of surviving, functioning dopamine neurons at varying intervals. Rats implanted with active stimulators will be compared to a control group implanted with inactive stimulators.

Dr. Behbehani, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, established the method for implanting the electrodes in the rat’s tiny subthalamic nucleus. “You can’t use an atlas of the rat brain to locate the subthalamic nucleus,” Dr. Sortwell said. “You’d hit and miss. You need to use electrophysiological methods consisting of a recording device to listen to the electrical signature of different cellular populations of the brain. In this way you can find the significant, bursting signature pattern of the subthalamic nucleus.”

The study cannot be performed in a human population, Dr. Sortwell said, because denying DBS to a patient with disabling symptoms would be unethical.

Dr. Mandybur, a neurosurgeon with the Mayfield Clinic and The Neuroscience Institute and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at UC, concurs that DBS seems to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. “From a clinical point of view, I have seen dozens of patients who have undergone deep brain stimulation, and my impression is that somehow the procedure slows the progression in many patients,” he said. “When we see something like this in the clinic, we want to prove our theory.”

Though the study involves rats, it may hold profound implications for people stricken with Parkinson’s disease. “If we do prove that DBS offers neuroprotection,” Dr. Mandybur said, “then maybe we should be doing the procedure earlier in the patient’s life.” Currently, patients with Parkinson’s disease undergo DBS an average of 14 years after diagnosis.

Funds from the Sunflower Revolution also will be used to double the laboratory’s capacity to study brain-stimulated rats from four rats a month to eight. The initial study “platform” was funded by UC’s Millennium Fund and subsequently by The Neuroscience Institute.

The Denver-based Davis Phinney Foundation, named for the former Tour de France cyclist Davis Phinney, is dedicated to supporting research aimed at understanding, preventing, and treating Parkinson’s disease, which affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans. In 2006 the foundation named The Neuroscience Institute and Stanford University its first Davis Phinney Research Centers.

The Neuroscience Institute, a regional center of excellence at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital, is dedicated to patient care, research, education, and the development of new treatments for stroke, brain and spinal tumors, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, trauma, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Sunflower Revolution III, held in October 2006, raised $300,000. The Harold C. Schott Foundation was the event’s presenting sponsor. Sunflower Revolution IV is scheduled for Sept. 7-9, 2007.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2007

New Yorkers Raise Money by Raising Their Heart Rates - The Davis Phinney Foundation and The Michael J. Fox Foundation host a high-energy spin event at the Copacabana -

NEW YORK – The Davis Phinney Foundation, in conjunction with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, is pleased to announce "Join the Parkinson’s Peloton," a three-hour spinning session led by Master Spin Instructor, Josh Taylor. The fundraiser will take place on January 27, 2007 at the Copacabana night club (560 W 34th St) from 1-4 pm. Top-of-the line Star-Trac bikes are being generously donated by the event’s lead sponsor, New York Sports Clubs. The net proceeds from the event will fund a Parkinson’s exercise research project.

"Spinning is one the most popular programs at New York Sports Clubs—we offer nearly 1,000 classes per week—but this class is sure to be one of the most fun,"  said Merrill Richmond, Vice President of Marketing for New York Sports Clubs.

"In professional racing, the peloton represents a fusing of energy that allows the group to gain more ground collectively than it would individually, which is a perfect analogy for our initiative to understand and cure Parkinson’s Disease," said Davis Phinney, founder.

The Davis Phinney Foundation (DPF) 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. Earlier this year, the DPF named two Davis Phinney Research Centers: The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati and Stanford University. The Foundation has donated over $750,000 to these institutions since its inception in 2004.

"Of particular importance to the Foundation is exploring the neuroprotective benefits of exercise for Parkinson’s patients," said Rick Tallman, Executive Director of the Phinney Foundation. "We are very excited that the money raised at this event will support a Parkinson’s exercise research study jointly funded by the DPF and The Michael J. Fox Foundation."

"Preliminary evidence suggests that exercise can be of great value in a Parkinson’s treatment regimen," said Todd Sherer, PhD, vice president of research programs for The Michael J. Fox Foundation. "We’re pleased to collaborate with the Davis Phinney Foundation to raise funds for research that will help advance our understanding of the mechanisms that make exercise potentially neuroprotective, and how patients can maximize the beneficial effects of physical activity."

The mission of the Davis Phinney Foundation is to accelerate Parkinson’s research through collaborative funding, and to explore the positive effects of exercise on Parkinson’s patients. Cycling legend Davis Phinney, who in 1986 became the first American to win a road stage of the Tour de France, was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s at age 40. He assumed the role of Parkinson’s advocate with the formation of his Foundation in 2004.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is dedicated to ensuring the development of a cure for Parkinson’s disease within this decade through an aggressively funded research agenda. To date the Foundation has funded over $86 million directly or through partnerships.

Register for the event at www.davisphinneyfoundation.org. A single rider can reserve a bike for $150, and $50 per extra rider. Registration on the day of the event will be limited. Riders are encouraged to do the spin as a pledge ride for the foundation and make the greatest difference in the fight against Parkinson’s. The team of riders that raises the most money will enjoy a private dinner with Davis Phinney. Corporate sponsorship packages are available; please contact Kristie Henderson at 435-659-1139 for more information.

An estimated 1.5 million Americans live with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative neurological disorder involving the death of dopamine-producing nerve cells deep within the brain. Parkinson’s affects one of every 100 people over the age of 60, and 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. There is no cure for Parkinson’s at this time, and scientists do not yet know how to slow or halt its progression.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2006
Sunflower Revolution III Nets $300,000 For Parkinson’s Research & Wellness at The Neuroscience Institute

CINCINNATI –The Sunflower Revolution III fundraiser held last October netted $300,000 for Parkinson’s research and wellness programs, officials from the Davis Phinney Foundation and The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital announced today.

The Denver-based Davis Phinney Foundation, which hosted the Sunflower Revolution gala and bike ride, will dispense the funds in the form of grants to Neuroscience Institute researchers working in basic-science laboratories and clinical settings.

Cycling legend Davis Phinney, who in 1986 became the first American to win a stage of the Tour de France, was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s at age 40. He assumed the role of Parkinson’s advocate with the formation of his foundation in 2004.

"We are very pleased with the support and generosity demonstrated by the Cincinnati community,” said Rick Tallman, Executive Director of the Davis Phinney Foundation. “Their contributions will have a significant impact on the research effort at The Neuroscience Institute and will help improve the lives of people living with Parkinson's disease."

John M. Tew, M.D., Clinical Director of The Neuroscience Institute, praised the “important team effort” that involved the Institute, the Davis Phinney Foundation, and the Greater Cincinnati community. He extended special thanks to gala co-chairs Francie Schott Hiltz and Melody Sawyer Richardson; Corporate Steering Committee Chairman James F. Orr, Chairman and CEO of Convergys; and honorary chair and Sunflower Revolution founder Kathleen Krumme.

Earlier this year the DPF named The Neuroscience Institute and Stanford University its first Davis Phinney Research Centers. The Neuroscience Institute, which embraces nine neuroscience specialties at UC and University Hospital, includes UC’s departments of neurology and neurosurgery, which in 2005 ranked 3rd and 13th, respectively, among public medical schools in funding from the National Institutes of Health.

The Sunflower Revolution, a three-day event, featured a gala, an educational symposium, and bike rides of 62 and 25 miles. The event also marked the first meeting of the Davis Phinney Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board, which included faculty members from UC, Stanford, the University of Texas-Austin, the University of Michigan, and the University of Colorado-Boulder. The Harold C. Schott Foundation was the Sunflower Revolution’s presenting sponsor. Other major sponsors included the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation, Betty K. Carpenter, The Christ Hospital, Convergys, Corporex, Design Forum, Local 12 WKRC-TV, Kroger, Serotta Competition Bicycles, The Villages at Rivers Bend, UBS, Union Central Life Insurance Co., UC College of Medicine, The University Hospital, Western & Southern Life Insurance Co., and Larry & Charlie Townsend.

Sunflower Revolution IV has been scheduled for Sept. 7-9, 2007.

An estimated 1.5 million Americans live with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative neurological disorder involving the death of dopamine-producing nerve cells deep within the brain. Parkinson’s affects one of every 100 people over the age of 60, and 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. There is no cure for Parkinson’s at this time, and scientists do not yet know how to slow or halt its progression.

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 Neuroscience Institute, a regional center of excellence at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital, is dedicated to patient care, research, education, and the development of new treatments for stroke, brain and spinal tumors, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, trauma, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2006

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1986 Team 7-Eleven stage win at the Tour de France

SAN FRANCISCO, California – In 1986, Davis Phinney, riding with the US based 7-Eleven team, shocked the European riding establishment by winning a stage in the Tour de France. To celebrate this momentous event, Davis Phinney and many of his 7-Eleven teammates will get together for a reunion dinner on June 16th, 2006. The “Drafting for Davis” event will be held at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Menlo Park CA. The evening starts at 5:30 with cocktails; allowing guests the exceptional opportunity to mingle with some of cycling’s greatest riders. The Tour de France themed dinner will feature food from different parts of France. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s. Sportscaster Phil Liggett will be Master of Ceremonies and lead the live auction after dinner. There are many auction items available for the cycling enthusiast, as well as some enticing items for non-cyclists. Auction items may include an exclusive ride with biking legends, a European trip to watch the TdF, Giro, or Vuelta, and a custom bike built by Eddy Merckx. Members from the 7-Eleven team who plan to attend the event include Chris Carmichael, Eric Heiden, Ron Keifel, Tom Schuler, Jeff Pierce, Jim Ochowicz (Team Director), and of Course Davis Phinney. The Davis Phinney Foundation will also begin their annual bike raffle at the event, with a road bike donated by Ben Serotta.

The mission of the Davis Phinney Foundation is to accelerate Parkinson’s research through collaborative funding, and to explore the positive effects of exercise on Parkinson’s patients. As an Olympic medalist and the winningest professional cyclist in American history, Davis Phinney and his efforts as part of the famed 7-Eleven team of the 1980’s broke down barriers for American cyclists in Europe, and cleared the way for future Tour victories by Greg LeMonde and Lance Armstrong. In 2000, Davis was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. He now dedicates his life in support of Parkinson’s research in an effort to advance our understanding of this crippling disease that affects millions of Americans.

For more details, auction item updates or to purchase tickets for the event, visit http://www.davisphinneyfoundation.org/june16.html. Individual tickets or tables of 10 for friends or clients are available for purchase. All proceeds go directly to the Davis Phinney Foundation.

DETAILS:
WHERE: Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club, 2900 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park CA 94025.
WHEN: Friday, June 16, 2006.
TIME: Doors open at 5:30 pm. Dinner begins at 7:00pm.
PRICES: $250 per ticket

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