Meet Sam Fox, the 28-year-old endurance athlete who's on a mission to cure Parkinson's disease. After his mother, Lucy, was diagnosed with the debilitating disease 15 years ago, Sam knew he had to take action. Never one to "sit on the sidelines," Sam mapped out the Tour de Fox [1], a three-month-long trek around the lower contiguous US; he'll cover an astounding 14,000 miles and climb the highest peak in 48 states, all while raising one million dollars for Parkinson's research for the Michael J. Fox [2] Foundation. The tour is currently under way, and on July 2, Sam was already halfway to reaching his one-million-dollar goal! Check out the official Tour de Fox video and candids ahead. You'll be inspired to see when Sam's in your state.
Warning: this Tour de Fox video is a tearjerker.
Scenes With MJF
Michael J. Fox [3] and Sam hiked White Butte in North Dakota with 25 fellow climbers. Sam said Michael was the first to reach the summit!
Mapping the Route
We dig Sam's man bun.
#SummitSelfie
Sam led an excursion of 30 climbers to the top of New Hampshire's tallest peak.
Taking Rest After a 100-Mile Ride
He had his first "dig deep" moment during this ride: "I love challenging myself physically. I always have, and as long as I can move I'm sure I always will. However, as the miles, sun burns, bruises and sleep deficit pile up, it gets more difficult and indeed physically painful just to keep going. That's when I turn to my mom for inspiration. And not just because she has Parkinson's and is fighting it, but because she's always been tough, she's taught me to be tough in my way, and I feel a healthy pressure to make her proud out here."
Sam's Inspiration
Sam shared a great snap with his mom, Lucy.
He's an Animal-Lover!
Meet Nugget the Pit Bull. So much cuteness in this photo.