That day in Las Vegas, Eric confirmed to me that he suffered from Parkinson’s. He had been diagnosed in 2021, but didn’t add much more about the condition. As a jiu jitsu practitioner, he was more interested in talking about MMA, the UFC, and the training involved.

In early January 2026, Eric launched a podcast, Parkinson’s: An Athlete’s Journey, co-hosted with Todd Vogt, a Paralympic silver medalist also living with the disease. Eric had made it his mission to talk openly about his experiences battling Parkinson’s and wanted to help others who were facing similar challenges. “

Action displaces fear” was one of the foundations of his approach, as he believed fitness could help those with Parkinson’s lead more fulfilling lives. “We believe that fitness creates opportunity and freedom,” was another line from the “manifesto” on his website.

A Heartbreaking Loss

Eric passed away in early October at the age of 60. I had interviewed him just a few months ago for our August issue. The title of the piece, “Rough Seas Make Good Sailors,” was a phrase he used when talking about confronting enormous challenges. I urge you to take the time to read the interview.

For a man who had spent his life learning how to maximize physical power and endurance and teaching others to do the same as a strength and conditioning coach, Eric struggled at first after his diagnosis. He then realized that the same methods and tools he had employed to reach his physical potential could be utilized to improve his quality of life while living with Parkinson’s.

I admired him for his strength of purpose and for speaking honestly about his battles while navigating a frightening world of suffering from a progressive, incurable disease. He was driven to help others and did so until the end.

Most important to Eric was his family, his wife, and three young children. Like many who have similar diagnoses, he worried about a future that might require his needing caretaking and becoming a burden to loved ones.

For somebody who had mastered his own physical capabilities, Eric had faced the fear of losing autonomy. But a life spent dedicated to fitness had taught him to reclaim his power and take action. He was encouraged by how the fitness industry was paying more attention to serving people with disabilities and chronic diseases.

He told me: “If the industry keeps opening up the way it has, keeps making room for people dealing with conditions like this, it changes what’s possible for a lot of people who assume their training days are behind them.”

I didn’t know Eric well, but I was deeply affected by his death. As we put together this Year in Review issue, I reflected on how much he had taught and inspired me.

Eric told me that at first he had “lone-wolfed it” after his diagnosis, but then realized he needed to reach out to others to cope. He was fortunate to be in an industry that responded by opening its arms to him. In the process, he had made a commitment to give back to the community that had given him so much.

Beyond profits and losses, trends, and market shifts, the most important element of the health and fitness industry every year is the community that continues to open its doors to those who feel helpless and disempowered.

As Eric put it: “We believe that the greatest strength comes when we lift each other up, when we overcome our limitations and fears and say, ‘Let me try again.’”