Tom Walker,Walk to Cure Arthritisnational adult honoree and former MLB pitcher, claims that it’s truly “mind over matter” when it comes to his osteoarthritis (OA) pain. Every day, he rises up and pushes forward, despite the obstacles – like having a harder time walking – that challenge him.
Tom describes himself as the “poster child” for arthritis, a disease that’s followed him for 40+ years. When he was 25 years old and playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, he headed to Florida for spring training, and midway through training joint pain spread from his elbow to his shoulder, making it impossible to ignore anymore.
汤姆被介绍给风湿病专家，医生诊断他患有痛风，一种炎症性关节炎。他立即开始服用药物来控制炎症和疼痛，这使他能够再次行走。然而，疼痛让他失去了一个赛季:他不能上场，这在情感上是困难的。
“I didn’t know that taking a season on the bench was just the beginning for me and my arthritis, Tom says. “Professional sports have a lot of highs and lows – winning a game and then losing another one – which is very much like osteoarthritis. You have good days and bad days. Pro ball definitely prepared me for what lied ahead.”
In 1978, Tom officially retired from major league baseball due to the progression of his OA.
“我只是不能再为大联盟付出‘足够的努力’了。我的肩膀和肘部的疼痛太严重了，这让我的职业生涯中断了。”
Tom moved on and spent 30+ years working for health care corporations and raising his family. And now he’s fortunate enough to enjoy 10 grandchildren, ranging from six months to eight years old. Along with enjoying life, he has also spent countless hours caring for his health and has endured two full knee and hip replacements – and most likely a shoulder replacement is on the horizon.
2014年，当汤姆离开公司时，他的妻子和儿子尼尔·沃克(Neil Walker，现效力于纽约大都会队)敦促他参与进来，保持活跃。在他说“不，我想享受退休的荣耀”之前，尼尔安排了一次与关节炎基金会的会议。
The Arthritis Foundation Great Lakes office asked Tom to be the local honoree for the Walk to Cure Arthritis in Pittsburgh … and the rest is history.
“I realized quickly that this is the perfect organization for me to give back. I have arthritis and it’s impacted my life, though not controlled it,” Tom says. “Through my involvement, I learned more about the disease and the Foundation, and it has allowed me to be able to help others conquer their arthritis by having a strong mind and positive perspective.”
汤姆指出，尽管他面临着诸多挑战——关节炎，以及因眼部中风而导致一只眼睛合法失明——但他的问题与其他人相比还是相形见绌。正如他所说:“总有人比你面临更大的挑战，你必须把事情放在关节炎之前，继续你的生活。”
To learn more about WTCA National Adult Honoree Tom Walker, clickhereorfind a WTCA event near you.