The British Athlete Who Has Defied Parkinson's for 10 Years

"Chris Hamper was in his late fifties when he first realized something was wrong. A lifelong rock climber, he was clambering up a relatively straightforward ascent when his left hand just let go of its own accord. One moment he was gripping the rock face, the next moment, thin air. "I thought that was weird," Hamper says now, some 10 years later."

"Parkinson's affects the nervous system, gradually imparing one's movement patterns. It's the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in the United States, behind Alzheimer's. Men are twice as likely to be diagnosed, with 90,000 new cases diagnosed annually, adding to the roughly 1 million Americans already living with it. In the United Kingdom, the numbers are naturally a bit smaller, but globally, Parkinson's has become the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease."

""His ability to climb and how Parkinson's affected his life outside of the gym seemed to be separate," James says. "I heard about Chris walking into a climbing gym, struggling to put on his harness, then going and still being able to climb one of the hardest routes in the gym. People half his age would gather around and ask 'How did you do that?'""

Chris Hamper first experienced symptoms in his late fifties when his left hand suddenly let go while climbing, causing an unexpected fall. He remained an avid climber from Coventry and continued climbing after a Parkinson's diagnosis, embracing appreciation and determination. Parkinson's progressively impairs movement and is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in the United States, with men twice as likely to be diagnosed and about 90,000 new U.S. cases annually. Globally Parkinson's is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease. Filmmaker Jess James connected through family ties and made a short film, The Parkinson's Project, inspired by Hamper's abilities.

Read at InsideHook