Jimmy Choi Speaker Biography
Parkinson’s Advocate, Ultra Marathoner, Endurance Athlete & American Ninja Warrior Contestant
At the age of 27, Jimmy Choi was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease. Upon receiving the diagnosis, Choi went into denial and “did nothing” for the next 7-8 years to manage his Parkinson’s symptoms. By 2010, he only walked with a cane, and he hit rock-bottom when he fell down a full flight of stairs while carrying his young son, Mason. Thankfully, both were physically unharmed, but fear of the future and fear for his family made Choi vow to do whatever it takes to take back control of what Parkinson’s had robbed from him physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Parkinson’s Warrior
Since then, Choi has participated in multiple clinical trials to further research on better treatments and hopefully a cure for Parkinson’s. Physical therapy led him to running and other activities that help both his physical and mental PD symptoms. He joined Team Fox in 2012 and ran his first marathon that year…and he has not stopped since! His passion to push beyond his limits led him to the national stage as he took on a new challenge and competed as an American Ninja Warrior the last 5 years! He showed the world that Parkinson’s will not stop him and inspired many more to not let a diagnosis define you.
Endurance Athlete & Advocate
Today, Choi continues to maintain a very active lifestyle and lives with his wife Cherryl and two kids Karina and Mason in the Chicagoland area. The pandemic is not slowing him down. In 2020, he smashed the Guinness world record for the most chest to ground burpees in a minute and tied the record for most side jump pushups in one minute. As a Parkinson’s advocate, he serves as a patient council member for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and a board member for Rock Steady Boxing. He also coaches fitness for kids and adults and can often be found online chronicling his day-to-day challenges and how he strives to overcome them with functional movements. He continues to advocate exercise as one of his ‘drugs’ to manage Parkinson’s symptoms and looks forward to providing his input into the Parkinson’s community.
“The hardest step is that first step. Every step after get easier.”
-Jimmy Choi
Jimmy Choi Speaking Topics
Jimmy Choi's Personal Story
Jimmy describes the challenges of his personal Parkinson’s journey while providing mental and physical health and wellness inspiration for all.
The Impact of Parkinson's and the Unknown
Jimmy Choi, a member of The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) Patient Council, was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's disease at age 27. After his diagnosis in 2003, Jimmy lived in denial and tried to avoid the disease by remaining inactive. By 2010, he weighed 240 pounds and walked with a cane. After a bad fall, he had no choice but to confront the disease head-on and regain control of his life. The rest is history.
