UPDATE: Around the same time this article went live, Michael experienced a seizure mid-way through an event. He put out a statement on his facebook page and has allowed me to share it with you here:
“I had a difficult day today. Halfway through the bike segment during the Lifetime Tri Series in Chicago I had a bad seizure which caused me to crash. In the upcoming weeks, I will be working closely with my doctors to try to come up with a treatment plan. I am hopeful that this won’t take too long so that I can get back to training. Once I know more, I will provide you with an update.” – Michael Poole
This athlete and leader has taken the opportunity to join forces with Athletes vs. Epilepsy to become a spokesperson for people living with epilepsy. He recently also was invited to participate as the Grand Marshall for the Bike Challenge at Camp Boggy Creek. On the heels of all this epilepsy awareness activity, we reached out and Poole was kind enough to take a break from his training regiment to speak with Living Well With Epilepsy.
On Epilepsy
JESSICA KEENAN SMITH: Thank you for taking time to speak with Living Well With Epilepsy. It’s really important for those of us living with epilepsy to hear from someone like you who is a success as an athlete and a student. Do you mind giving us some background on when you were diagnosed and what type of seizures you have?
MICHAEL POOLE: Sure, my epilepsy started when I was around 18. I have Grand Mal seizures. It was a real surprise for my family. No one else has seizures and we didn’t really know anything about it.
SMITH: So, that would have been your senior year in High School right?
POOLE: That’s right. I really struggled. I ended up having to drop out of school because of my epilepsy.
SMITH: You completed your high school degree though. Because you are now working on your undergraduate degree at the University of Southern Florida.
POOLE: That’s correct. I did finish high school and I am now working on my undergrad degree in chemistry at USF.
The Triathlete
SMITH: So, how did you get into triatholons?
POOLE: Triatholon was a popular sport in my high school. I joined the running team and found I was good at it.
SMITH: My readers can tell you, I am not super sporty. Tell me what is your training regiment like?
POOLE: Tri is three sports. Each day I swim, bike and run. Generally I train about 30-40 hours a week. I am also a full time student.
SMITH: Being a full time student and a full time athlete and having a chronic illness does not leave much time for anything else. What is your ultimate goal? The Olympics or something else?
POOLE: I’m not aiming for the Olympics, but there are a few world championships I have in my sites. My real goal is to be ranked #1 in the US.
SMITH: What about your studies? Do you have a vision for what you will do with your degree in chemical engineering?
POOLE: Not at this point. My dream is to make a living as a triathlete.
The Spokesman
SMITH: I’m going to shift gears a bit so I don’t take up too much more of your time. You recently visited Camp Boggy Creek, a year-round medical camp for children with serious illness. What was that like?
POOLE: I wanted to visit Camp Boggy Creek because it was an opportunity to get involved in the epilepsy community on a local level. Athletes vs Epilepsy is great but it is a national effort. I really wanted to reach out locally. I just spent a day there but I talked to as many kids as I could. They have invited me to be the Grand Marshall of their Annual Challenge Ride.
SMITH: That’s fun. I’m curious, what prompted you to go public about your epilepsy?
POOLE: I mentioned that my family didn’t know anything about epilepsy when I was diagnosed. People seemed embarrased to talk about epilepsy but it occured to me that it doesn’t need to be that way. There doesn’t need to be any stigma.
SMITH: Michael, it has been a pleasure. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with Living Well With Epilepsy. I look forward to following your success.
Learn More
To follow Michael on Facebook visit: https://www.facebook.com/michaelpooleprofessionaltriathlete
To learn more about Camp Boggy Creek visit: http://campboggycreek.org
To learn more about the SeriousFun Children’s Network visit: https://www.seriousfunnetwork.org/
To learn more about Athletes vs. Epilepsy visit: http://www.epilepsy.com/make-difference/get-involved/athletes-vs-epilepsy
Yoong Kah Lok
My name is Yoong Kah Lok and I am from Malaysia. I am a Grand Mal patient and been diagnosed as early as 4 or 5 years old. Is there an Epileptic Foundation here in Malaysia. The last I heard was there is an office run by our University Hospital. Is the Foundation thinking of opening an office here for epileptic patients will greatly benefit from it.
Jessica Keenan Smith
Below I have included a few links to Malaysian epilepsy resources. These may not be anywhere near where you live but they will at least give you a starting point for finding additional resources.
I don’t know of any plans by the epilepsy foundation to expand internationally. If you hear of any please let us know.
http://www.dulux.com.my/EN/news-events/purple-day.html
http://directory.stclassifieds.sg/malaysia-directory/malaysian+society+of+epilepsy/businesslisting/246150/
Best,
Jessica
http://www.neuro.org.my/
http://www.novasans.com/epilepsy-treatment/malaysia/
sarah
Hello, please read our beautiful Angel Ollie’s story.
Ollie was 2 years and 8 months old when we tragically lost him on the 27th December 2013, following a 3 hour long seizure on Christmas day.
Ollie had Dravet syndrome, a very rare life limiting form of epilepsy that affects around 1 in 40,000.
We will continue to raise awareness & money for this condition, so far with the help of our amazing family and friends we have raised over £10,000 for Ollie’s memorial fund that we set up via the charity Dravet Syndrome Uk, the money is used to supply potentially life saving monitors to children with Dravet Syndrome.
Please could you share Ollie’s page to help us raise awareness of this awful condition that stole our baby boy,
Thank you
From
Ollie’s totally heartbroken mummy x
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ollie-Johnson-is-living-with-Dravet-Syndrome/205726116278493
Jessica Keenan Smith
Sarah,
When you are ready, you are welcome to submit your personal story to Living Well With Epilepsy at https://livingwellwithepilepsy.com/share-your-epilepsy-experience. Be sure to include a picture of Ollie. Maybe you could even include a picture of yourself. Also include a link to your fundraising page when you submit your story. Best to you and your family. I’m thinking of you.
Jessica
Samuel Inglese
Xcellent quote Jessica. “Thank you for taking time to speak with Living Well With Epilepsy. It’s really important for those of us living with epilepsy to hear from someone like you “. I am a documentary filmmaker who has had progressively increasing uncontrolled seizures for 30 years now. Accidents biking, hiking, running, walking and even making love. What do you say we work together and make a film about Michael that those of us with epilepsy to appreciate and reveal to those around us.