Wigan table tennis coach teams up with international composer for Parkinson's Disease programme

A Wigan table tennis coach has teamed up with an international composer as part of a fitness programme for people living with Parkinson’s Disease.

Steve Rowe, the head coach of Wigan Table Tennis Club and founder of international fitness scheme Aerobic Table Tennis, is launching a UK arm of Ping Pong Parkinson with Nenad Bach, a composer who has the disease.

Nenad, who is from Croatia but lives in New York City, has completed two world tours with Luciano Pavarotti, and has shared the stage with many renowned artists.

When his condition rendered him unable to perform his music anymore, Nenad began playing table tennis, which he began playing regularly after discovering that playing the sport improved his movement and mood.

“Everything is better than it used to be. I even keep that paddle here next to the bed so I can play left and right and it improved me so that I could perform again. Not as good as I used to be, but good enough to meet my standards to play live,” said Nenad.

“I want to help other people because it’s helping me. I hope that everybody who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, like me, would be helped and play because they know that exercise helps, but exercise is boring – and ping pong is fun. We have a Ping Pong Parkinson Association where people with the same issues can gather and I can’t wait to play there.

“With the support of the International Table Tennis Federation, I created and organized with my New York team a first-ever Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships.”

He added: “With Steve Rowe, I am looking forward to creating an aerobic exercise, specifically designed for People with Parkinson (PwP), as a warm-up for the program of PingPongParkinson. Something that is fun doing it, with the music, and effective on cardio. Steve will design a fitness programme for Ping Pong Parkinson, using table tennis movement to music.”

A delighted Steve said: “To be able to work with Nenad, a world renowned composer, on this project is really amazing.

“Nenad and I have talked for hours on the phone, we kind of just hit it off, like we had known each other for years.

“Nenad is a wonderful person and a marvellous musician. People should check out his music by visiting his website. Nenad needs to be heard, he produces the most wonderful music.

“I can’t wait for us to work together on this amazing project, to help increase people’s health and wellbeing.

“It’s an amazing story and something I am so pleased to help with.”

He added: “To think that playing ping pong can help people living with Parkinson’s, is a beautiful thing. And to think that after playing ping pong, Nenad was able to start performing on stage again, is truly a miracle.

“I will be organising the first ever UK Ping Pong Parkinson event in my hometown Wigan, as soon as the Covid19 problem is under control. This will be the first ever Ping Pong Parkinson event in the UK. It will be in 2021.

“The event will be a social event, along with an actual ping pong competition for people living with Parkinson’s. It will be a day full of fun and music.

“I want families that have someone living with Parkinson’s or Dementia to contact me and register an interest, we will then add them to a database and will contact them when the event date is decided.

“Any community programmes in Wigan that are dealing with Parkinson’s or Dementia, please contact me, so we can work together as a team.

“We will also run regular weekly Ping Pong Parkinson sessions at Wigan Table Tennis Club, in 2021.”

Steve Rowe can be reached at [email protected]