I first met Shuichi Goto on a PRO Zoom Tea Chat that was connecting our PD community through a no-agenda-chat time. I knew he would be someone I’d want to get to know while catching a glimpse through his laptop camera of two interesting things. Outside his sliding glass door was his visiting squirrel, eating acorns on the patio. The squirrel visits every morning, he says, along with a fellow scavenging Bluejay. Scan right and view a display of his wife’s bustling sewing business of uniforms for athletes worldwide. There’s a lot one can learn from Zoom.
This guy is an athlete; positive, chatty, and an adventure seeker.
His first interest in gymnastics arose from inspiration during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He pursued his interest and went on to become a college gymnast, then coached in Nashville, TN, Champaign, IL and more recently at the Multnomah Athletic Club (MAC) in Portland, Oregon. I imagine his devotees have some stories.
This guy is an athlete; positive, chatty, and an adventure seeker. He rode his bike from Portland to Timberline Lodge (72 miles and 6000 feet gain in gear 12), climbed Mt Hood and skied down 10,000 feet to Timberline Lodge, and swam across the Columbia River from Washington side to Oregon. (I don’t imagine he did all 3 in one day, but you can ask him when you meet him.) His adventures are not finished. His future plans are skiing the Canadian Rockies, exploring Europe and training through Japan. (He didn’t mention skiing Mt Fuji, but I’m betting that’ll be a stop.) I’m also pretty sure he’ll factor in time to nosh on nature and observe the wildlife.
Shuichi grew up in Sapporo, Japan and relocated to Portland in 1989. He retired in 2018 from his coaching career at the MAC in Portland and his next adventure would be Parkinson’s disease, diagnosed in the fall of 2018. His daughter, who lives in Tokyo and plans on volunteering at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, noticed a tremor when he picked up something from the dining table and told him he should see a doctor. He’s a newbie – just 2 years of PD diagnosis under his belt. It’s obvious he’s spent his adult life being a motivator to many, as he’s quickly scurried to adapt to his new life. He says he spent a little time thinking negatively and now just thinks positively forging ahead learning new things, like cooking and drawing. He doesn’t waste time burying nuts in holes or hibernating.
Life is now.
Shuichi now enjoys cooking Japanese, Italian and Chinese food. He still rides his bike with caution, not too slowly and controls his downhill descents – adjusting his ride to accommodate for the unevenness he feels between his right and left sides now. His enjoyment of downhill skiing also continues with his usual gusto – tempered with caution. He exercises five days a week and that has included (pre-Covid) PD bootcamp, yoga and ping pong at the Beaverton PRO office and swimming and weightlifting elsewhere. He recognizes that his life needs more than exercise to keep him moving forward despite his PD diagnosis. He quickly thanks those in the PD community who told him early on that he was not alone. That one realization and phrase boosted his emotions and will as he worked hard to continue exercising and making many new friends who understand.
As Shuichi forages mid-Covid exercise opportunities and friendships in the now, he also has joy in sharing his life before Parkinson’s and is figuring out ways to continue doing what he loves, though sometimes differently. His attitude is infectious and I’d say we could all use a little of that infection right now as an antidote for all we’re all learning about patience, resilience and simply joys.