PWR!Gym lost one of our original members, George Timothy “Tim” Bowden

PWR!Gym lost one of our original members, a board member, fundraiser, supporter, and friend. George Timothy “Tim” Bowden died on May 15, 2018 with his wife (and junior high sweetheart), Diane, by his side. I met Tim in 2007 when he contacted me for a consult after being diagnosed with Parkinson disease. It didn’t take long for me to realize motivation was NOT Tim’s problem. He celebrated in the idea that his exercise prescription required him to participate in high-intensity exercise! Over the next 3 years, I shared my vision with him for creating a model community center so people with PD could have a place to participate in research-based rehab and fitness for life – he was listening. When we formed a nonprofit, he acted! He became one of the founding board members of Parkinson Wellness Recovery | PWR! and offered to create our 1st fundraiser— the Bowden Hike. In 2011, Tim and Diane recruited several friends to join them for a fifteen mile, 5000-foot climb from Catalina Park to the top of Mt. Lemmon. They completed it in nearly eight hours and continued to hike and fundraise again for this event in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, we expanded the event to include three hikes of varying distances (1,4,10 miles) so that more people could participate. By 2017, we had outgrown that venue, so to accommodate more people and to raise more awareness in the Tucson community for exercise and Parkinson disease, we started a new event at Reid Park, called PWR! in the Park. We worked with Tim and Diane to replace the Bowden Hike with the Bowden Challenge – offering people with PD and their families a chance to participate in multiple events of their choice (hike, agility course, soccer, Frisbee golf, cornhole, Giant Jenga, painting, and more). Since that first Bowden Hike up Mt. Lemmon, Tim and Diane have raised more than $100,000 for PWR!.

I will greatly miss Tim’s determination, generosity, thoughtful mentorship, and friendship.  – Dr. Becky Farley

 

To find out more about Tim and his accomplishments below are some additional links.

UA Cancer Center’s Dr. Tim Bowden Fondly Remembered As Gifted Scientist, Teacher and Mentor

George Timothy “Tim” BOWDEN Ph.D.- Obituary

In Memoriam: Cancer Center’s Tim Bowden