By Michael Reff
Press Committee Chair

I had the pleasure of interviewing Andrew Pougher of the Parkinson’s Wellness Initiative, who volunteered at the NCTTA champs in Eau Claire as well as purchased tables from NCTTA after the tourney for his organization.

1. Please describe the history of your initiative. When and how did table tennis first get introduced to you personally as well as your foundation?

The Parkinson's Wellness Initiative was formed to serve people in the WI area who have Parkinson Disease (PD) and wish to pursue exercise as part of their ongoing care and rehabilitation. My father has Parkinson’s so I researched study programs (such as that done by Ken-ichi Inoue, MD, of Fukuoka University in Fukuoka, Japan) that had been proven to make an impact on a persons ability to improve their hand /eye coordination, dexterity and therefore assist with basics functions like getting out of bed, posture, dressing oneself, getting up the stairs, thus generally building up confidence.

So I set about creating a custom program, building upon the research findings for Table Tennis that would be accessible in the Eau Claire and surrounding areas. I called it 'Healthy Eau Claire’, table tennis for Parkinson’s. The program combines a mix of drills and workouts, warmups and appropriate skill sets that are tailored to PD while bringing all the fun of the game to the fore.

Finding like minded people who are on the same mission to support the PD community meant opening up a variety of sports, reaching as many folks as possible. Allowing for collaboration with other programs such as boxing which paved the way to establish our 501c3 organization called Parkinson's Wellness Initiative (PWI). The programs preceded the formation of the charity last year but as a not for profit we are able to unify, raise funds and awareness while being 'under one roof' with a common goal.

Table tennis has been a love of mine since schools days back in England. From playing and teaching in clinics at a young age to playing in tournaments. Albeit my career took me into other fields, I have returned to this wonderful sport from a very personal perspective while applying my vocational skills to this program now in terms of data analysis, program building, coaching and creating a solid foundation to allow members to map their progress. Working with people and helping folks with needs is the most rewarding work one can do. PWI is a great vehicle to allow support and information to the PD community while raising awareness to the benefits of playing table tennis.

2. Please tell me how you first caught wind of the nctta tables being sold after post champs and how they have been affecting your foundation.

As a NCTTA supporter and volunteer worker at the UWEC this year and indeed a member of the local TT club, I became aware that the championship tables would be available for purchase after the event. As a charity, we are reliant on donations, affordable equipment and collaborative help. These tables are a huge benefit as they are utilized in a few locations to allow members to play, train and enjoy games on a quality piece of equipment. They are simple to port within a building and to store away. The Healthy Eau Claire Table Tennis group is currently made up of 18 registrants with PD, a mix who attend classes twice a week at a local center in EC. We are looking to expand into other locations and facilities so as to ease accessibility to as many as possible. These tables are a great asset and we are grateful to the NCTTA for making them available to our organization at a good price.

3. I heard you had some great volunteers come to the champs. Describe what you and others from your foundation liked most about the setup of champs. What were some memorable moments for you all?

The event proved that the TT community in EC is strong and that with supporters of such events like this, we can come together to provide resources, help with the behind-the-scenes setups while getting the privilege to see some top class players in a sport we all love. Such as the finals between Sheth and Kumar, both from California. Makes us all want to play more and brush up on our skills! We came together at the event to coordinate setup and seemed to make it a well oiled machine. Thanks to Willy Leparulo and the team. The TT player is a unique breed of sportsman who is often a details person, enjoys the technicality of the sport and the competition. No doubt this will encourage future events and familiar faces willing to keep this momentum.

4. I know I’ve heard about the neurological benefits of table tennis. Would you like to take this time to talk about how you and your foundation have benefited from this great sport?

It’s now become better understood in the wider community that table tennis has a positive impact on people with Parkinson’s and indeed many with a range of neurodegenerative conditions. From the aforementioned study in Japan to the one that HealthyEauClaire is running right here in EC. Outside the physical benefits of a table tennis/ cardio workout are the social aspects too. We have become more like a supportive family now with a common cause. This sport is great fun, shared experiences at different levels with laughter, tears and joy. We get to give back and offer a very beneficial program that holds true to its claims. I don't regret a moment, having segued into the field of applied sports for community need as I see the impact this superb sport has on the PD community. I hope the message can reach far and we are able to sustain the PWI programs via our charity, putting table tennis on everyone’s radar as a sport for all ages, ability and indeed to improve brain health.

Andrew has kindly allowed us to publish his website and email for those interested:

Parkinsons Wellness Initiative
info@parkinsonswellnessinitiative.org
parkinsonswellnessinitiative.org
healthyeauclaire.com