Parkinson's Advocate and Olympic Medalist Davis Phinney to Receive White House "Champions of Change" Award

BOULDER, Colo., March 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of the Champions of Change program (www.whitehouse.gov/champions), the White House recognizes everyday Americans who are doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities. On March 23, 2015, nine people and organizations in the Parkinson's community will be honored for advocating for better treatments and a cure.

Davis Phinney was selected because of his work and pioneering vision to share education, inspiration and effective self-care strategies so that those living with Parkinson's can take action to improve their quality of life.

In 2000, Davis Phinney was fresh off of a successful professional cycling career, highlighted by an Olympic bronze medal (1984), and his role as a key member of the first American team to race in the Tour de France, when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He founded the Davis Phinney Foundation in 2004 to focus on living well today with Parkinson's. More than a decade later, the Foundation's work has benefited hundreds of thousands of people, their health care providers, care partners and communities by dramatically changing the approach to living with and treating the disease. Phinney's tenacity, coupled with his infectious positive attitude and dedication to well-being, inspire the work of the Davis Phinney Foundation and have earned him the reputation as a tireless advocate and mentor for others living with Parkinson's.

"In 2002, I carried the Olympic torch, as part of the torch relay, when it came through Boulder en route to the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. That feeling, the responsibility, and that obligation of bearing the torch – an inspiring symbol of light and hope – has stayed with me, and it informs everything that we do at the Davis Phinney Foundation," said Phinney. "I'm deeply honored to be recognized as a Champion of Change."

To watch the ceremony live online, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 9:00 a.m. on March 23rd.

Davis Phinney Foundation

The Davis Phinney Foundation was created in 2004 to help people with Parkinson's disease live well today. Its major initiatives include: the Every Victory Counts^® manual, developed by movement disorder experts to provide practical ways to live well with Parkinson's; The Victory Summit^® symposia series, which brings experts into communities to share advances in science, care and to inspire those affected by the disease to take action; the Living Well Challenge™ educational webinar series; the "Parkinson's Exercise Essentials" video and the funding of research focused on exercise, speech and other quality of life therapies. www.davisphinneyfoundation.org

Parkinson's Disease

Globally, an estimated 6.3 million people have Parkinson's disease. It affects men and women alike. Its prevalence is higher in the over-60 age group, although diagnosis at younger ages is increasingly common.

Contact: Audrey Strong
(720) 324-8689
[email protected]

SOURCE Davis Phinney Foundation