Augie Nieto, the founder of Life Fitness, who suffers from ALS, fulfilled a dream.
Almost everything that has a name in global, but also in German sports - from Franz Beckenbauer to Nico Rosberg - personally participated in the action "Ice Bucket Challenge" last summer, in which one pours a bucket of ice-cold water over one's head. In this way, countless celebrities wanted to draw attention to the cruel disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and acquire donations. One of the biggest fundraisers for the fight against ALS is Life Fitness founder Augie Nieto.
More than $50 million has already been raised for the ALS Foundation by Life Fitness founder Augie Nieto, who was 47 when he was diagnosed with ALS in 2005.
Before his illness, I got to know Augie as a spirited, enterprising person who enjoyed life to the fullest despite a lot of work.
He scolded a former FIBO distributor so loudly in my office at FIBO that we had to calm down passing trade show visitors. But he could also jump into the hotel fountain with excitement during a Life Fitness party after successful days at IHRSA!
Crippling disease ALS
ALS snapped this person out of a successful and fulfilling life. His body became powerless, leaving his brain intact. First the disease paralyzed his body, then it took away his ability to speak, breathe and feed himself. He did not want to be a burden to anyone, Augie made clear after a failed suicide. That the suicide failed made him reflect, and then he realized he still had obligations and duties. One to his family, the other as a fundraiser for the foundation he founded, Augie's Quest, which supports doctors and scientists in research and the fight against ALS.
10th Annual Bash to coincide with IHRSA 2015.
Over $50 million has been raised by Augie to date for this cause and I would have loved to accept his invitation, conveyed through Hans Münch (European IHRSA Ambassador), to join him in celebrating the 10th Annual Bash in parallel with IHRSA 2015 in Los Angeles on March 13, 2015. Unfortunately, due to several pulmonary embolisms, I am no longer allowed to take long-distance flights. John McCarthy, former IHRSA President, invites you to this Bash saying, "We had not dared to hope in our wildest dreams to be able to celebrate the 10th Annual Bash with Augie."I will be thinking of Augie on March 15. At the same time, I hope he will take a few steps then to mark the occasion, as he did just recently when he accompanied his daughter down the aisle at her wedding.
(Continued) steps out of willpower
What had happened? Instead of waiting for death, or looking for it, Augie had begun to fight after the failed suicide attempt. In fact, because of the money raised, doctors were also making progress in fighting ALS. In a small specialized studio in his home, Augie began exercising what little mobility his body had - three times a week for 2.5 hours each time. The training and medicine brought slow but steady progress, and then Augie made a plan to walk his daughter Lindsay down the aisle at her wedding.He trained and agonized, but he never let that goal out of his sight and was sure at all times he would achieve it - and he did!
His daughter walked barefoot through the church to be at eye level with her father at all times. It was a triumph of the will!
ALS and Augie's Quest
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (abbreviated ALS) is a degenerative disease of the motor nervous system. It is also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or myatrophic lateral sclerosis and is also known as Charcot's disease after its first describer, Jean-Martin Charcot. For every 100,000 people, about one to three develop ALS each year, with most disease occurring between the ages of 50 and 70. Life expectancy after diagnosis is three to five years.
Here is the website of the "Augie's Quest" foundation established by Augie Nieto: www.augiesquest.org.
Source: F&G
Image source: #103796406 chrupka / stock.adobe.com
Published on: 11 February 2015