It is daunting to do something new. Without the comfort of precedent, innovators are forced to take bold leaps into the unknown and hope for the best. Such is the case for Nenad Bach (pictured, right). The musician and peace activist founded Ping Pong Parkinson's after noticing that the game helped ease the symptoms of the debilitating disease he shares with over six million people around the globe. This June, Bach attended the 2019 World Parkinson's Congress in Kyoto, Japan. There, he shared the remarkable improvements he and others at his Ping Pong Parkinson's club have experienced from playing table tennis. Another goal of his trip was to promote his latest innovation: the 2019 ITTF Parkinsons’ World Table Tennis Championship, a first-of-its-kind event to be held October 11-13 at the Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville, New York. The tournament is open to anyone diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. As word of the groundbreaking event slowly spread around the world, entries began to trickle in from Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore, Portugal, India, Germany, Denmark, Croatia, Colombia and Brazil. Now, it is announced that seven players Bach met in Japan have RSVPed. Absent only Africa, Oceania and Antarctica, it is hoped that players from all continents will attend. (Get it together, penguins!) Now the event has reached the milestone of 50 confirmed entries, with many more expected before the September 10 deadline. Nenad Bach's tireless efforts to promote world peace through music have now dovetailed with his quest for personal peace through table tennis. Even greater is his drive to share these gifts with those in need. If early returns are any indication, it seems Bach's bold leap of faith is already a resounding success.

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