De Carolis Meeting The Parkinson's Challenge

Oregon St. Athletic Director Bob De Carolis met with selected media today, and is meeting the challenge of Parkinson's Disease. De Carolis, 58, diagnosed earlier this year with the neurological disease, is using exercise and diet as tools to manage the malady, and taking the approach learned from a lifetime in and around athletes.

"You say, OK these are the cards that I have, what do I need to do?’’ said De Carolis. "I mean, I’ve been in athletics my whole life. It’s what you do (in sports), you face adversity. How do you change it? How do you get around it? You’ve got to have that mentality. You try to take those lessons you learned in the field of play.’’

The Oregonian's Paul Buker has a feature on the De Carolis, who is continuing to handle the day to day chores of an Athletic Director, though he did note that he has been "delegating a little more appropriately".

De Carolis still anticipates fulfilling his contract, which runs through June 2016, though he acknowledges that with a disease such as this, it literally is a day to day proposition. De Carolis also said that while his increased exercise program, and diet changes are currently working, and that he feels "energized’’ right now, if the signs of Parkinson’s get so acute that it starts affecting his public appearances, or meetings with potential donors, he would start on medication.

Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com