Inspiring group of table tennis players with Parkinson’s disease in Leeds is first group of its kind in UK
An inspiring group of table tennis players with Parkinson’s disease are proving that the diagnosis does not have to mean the end of an active life.
Leeds ParkyPing!, which competes in the Chapel Allerton-based Community Table Tennis Club, is the first group of its kind in the UK - and members want to encourage others with the neurological condition to take up the sport.
.jpeg?trim=0,0,0,0&crop=&width=640&quality=65)
Playing in custom-designed shirts to help raise awareness of their cause, the team competes in division three of the Leeds Summer League.
All members of the squad have Parkinson’s, except one - the partner of a player with the condition - who plays for the team occasionally.
Exercise is recognised as the best and possibly only way of slowing down the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Table tennis is thought to be particularly effective because of its focus on balance, hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and making split-second decisions and movements.
ParkyPing! co-founder Rob Cook, who was diagnosed with the condition six years ago, said: “I love table tennis but had hardly played for years. After reading about how helpful table tennis can be I knew I had to get back into it.
“I started ParkyPing! so that I could share the benefits with others living with the same condition. Then I joined Community TT Club and started playing at least twice a week.
“I feel much better than before. I really recommend table tennis to anyone with Parkinson’s. And if you’re really not into it, find something else to keep you moving.”
Tony Howgate, captain of the Leeds ParkyPing! team, said: “While we want to raise awareness about Parkinson’s, we’re not joining the league just to make up the numbers. We’ve got some very decent players. We aim to compete, and to win as many matches as we can.”
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
Leeds ParkyPing!, which formed in 2023, meets at St Stephen’s Church Hall, Kirkstall, on the first and third Monday of each month, and the second and fourth Tuesday.
The group includes women and men of all abilities, from complete beginners to people who play and used to play in Leeds Table Tennis League.
The group gets professional coaching and members share informal and invaluable peer support about experiences of living with Parkinson’s. Several partners of group members also attend regularly, allowing them to share information about how their lives are affected by the condition.
The team’s custom-designed kit was funded by the family of Steve Ryan, who took part in the very first ParkyPing! session, and sadly died around Christmas.
Feedback he wrote at the end of the first session - “I learnt that I can still hold a bat and pick up a ball! Felt so good!” - convinced founder Rob Cook the group would succeed, and runs along the bottom of the team shirt as a quote.
Leeds ParkyPing! is part of a growing Parkinson’s table tennis community across the UK, and globally, which has produced many local groups, many of which are led by people with Parkinson’s, as well as national and international tournaments.
The Community Table Tennis Club, which also started in 2023, has grown rapidly and is extremely welcoming and inclusive. Among its 90+ members are women and men from about twenty countries, aged 10-80.
As well as people with Parkinson’s, club members also include a stroke survivor, a transplant recipient, and several members who are neuro-divergent or have mental health problems.