Kevin Mokuahi: What's your mountain?

This podcast holds a special place in my heart. Kevin is fighting the same Parkinson's disease that my father battled before passing away recently. It's been tough processing it all over the past few months and diving back into podcasts. Kevin's story is as powerful as any 'Spirit of CAN.' tale out there. We both hope it offers you some valuable life perspective and maybe even a few laughs. If you feel inspired to support him and his cause, please consider donating to the charity listed below. We're also working to assist Kevin with gear and spreading his message.

Kevin's Story: Hawaii News Now Story

Donate: ParkinsonsHawaii.org

Social: @Stinkinroadies

Find your gear: Spirit of CAN.

Visit our store: Spirit of CAN.
Social media: Instagram

Remember, the discussions and concepts discussed in this podcast are for informational purposes only. If the 'can't" in your mind ever becomes too much, we encourage you to consult with a qualified professional. CAN. Ask for Help.

Transcript

Kevin

Andy: [00:00:00] Welcome to the defeating camp podcast. I'm Andy Bestwick, founder of the can brand. I'm stoked to introduce our first virtual guest, Kevin Mokua, joining us all the way from the beautiful Island of Oahu.

Today we're broadcasting from Las Vegas and it's an honor to have Kevin kick things off. His story holds a particular significance for me. As my wife and I recently relocated from Kauai to care for my father, who also is battling Parkinson's, the same disease Kevin faces. Sadly, my father recently passed away at 80 years old, but witnessing his resilience, spirit of Cannes, and in the face of adversity, He taught me the true meaning of having a can mindset.

Kevin embodies this mindset throughout his entire life. And today we're going to delve into his inspiring story, adding to another chapter of his legend. So Kevin just want to welcome you, welcome you on and, and thanks for taking the time to to be on today. 

Kevin: Yeah. Thank you. I I'm, I'm honored and I'm, I'm super honored that I was able to [00:01:00] actually kind of virtually meet your dad, you know, before he passed away, which was I, I, I carry that.

On every ride. So that's, 

Andy: Really kind of, you said, you know yeah, 

Kevin: no, it's the truth. You know, there's, there's, I, I think about him often and, and the attachment, you know, like the, there's just that, like that bond. So, you know, like just that, like that day when I dedicated a ride to him. You know, it was like feeling good and it was like, that's just, 

Andy: yeah, super chicken skin.

And so Kevin and I have a lot of, um, common, common things. And I don't even know how we, we connected to be honest. Probably just, just through Instagram or something. But, yeah, 

Kevin: I actually a friend of mine bought me a cam shirt. 

Andy: No way. That's awesome.

And, 

Kevin: It was the, and you know what, we were, we were talking about the shirt, you know, with designs and whatever. And I had forgotten that I actually, my first cam shirt was the, the bicycle one. 

Andy: Oh, that's sick. 

me.

Yeah. That's sick. Yeah. Yeah. [00:02:00] So Kevin has raced bikes his entire life, starting with BMX. You know, let's jump into that. Cause that's kind of fun. What, what got you hooked on two wheels? 

Kevin: You know, when we were kids, like I'm 57 now, like back in the day, it wasn't video games. It was. You know, you meet outside at eight o'clock in the morning on the weekends and you're gone and You're riding all over and you know at the time I was going back and forth from from hawaii to southern california And southern california was the hotbed of of bmxing and you know, it's like That area just alone basically pioneered it and I just was blessed enough to be in that era, you know, I'm one of my, 

Andy: you've been around a lot of these kind of, kind of cool communities.

So yeah, you gotta, you gotta mention that. 

Kevin: Yeah. You know, I started racing BMX when I was 12 and I became really good friends. Oh, well, we were actually, went to school together later on, but became really good friends with Pete Longcaravich. He's [00:03:00] a, Huge name in the cycling, 

insert: in the 

Kevin: BMX race, yeah, in the history of BMX one of the winningest BMX racers to ever be.

And I mean, so, so much so that like, we used to hang out, you know, like after school go ride. Like, I mean, it was just like nothing, you know, like Pete, I would be sitting in the garage, you know, with Pete hanging out or whatever, you know, and Harry, Larry would drive up in a van and that's in the diamond back van and like drop bikes off and boxers, you know, you know, for me, it wasn't that it wasn't, it was like, it's just Pete, you know?

And He was just another dude. And, but, you know, with my dad being who my dad was and, and that whole thing of growing up and my brother being who my brother was, 

Andy: let's talk about that a little bit we got a clue in our listeners a little bit. 

Kevin: Okay. So my brother was a famous wrestler in Hawaii Sammy Steamboat.

I'm sure you're all familiar with the name Ricky Steamboat. That was my brother, Sammy Oldest son. [00:04:00] And so he's, yeah, Ricky Steamboat and my brother was Sammy Steamboat. So back in the 60s and 70s, 50s, 60s, 70s, my brother was a famous wrestler here on the islands and all along the East Coast 

Andy: That's so cool, That's, that's that personality and that gravitational pull people have towards you and the family, I think. 

Kevin: Yeah, I mean, it was cool. I mean, you know, when I was little, I used to watch like Hulk Hogan and like Andre the giant, like come down to the beach and it was just a normal thing for me, you know?

And then my father was a famous beach boy. Our father was a famous beach boy. And you know, like to watch, you know, just laying on the beach. I used to like three, four years old, sleep on the beach at night with my dad. 

Andy: Yeah, that's so cool. So yeah. Yeah. 

Kevin: You know, it was, it was, it, there was no problems back then.

And there's this thing in Hawaii, they call pie pie. So you, you might be familiar with this, Andy. I'm not sure. 

Andy: yeah, go ahead. [00:05:00] Yeah. 

Kevin: So we take canoe out and then we lay a net and then we make a big, huge circle 

Andy: with the 

Kevin: net. 

Andy: And for fishing, right? 

Kevin: Yeah, yeah. And how long are you out 

Andy: there to do that?

What's that process like? So we 

Kevin: actually lay the net and we leave the, the net overnight. It should be like calm, it has to be like calm, calm, glass, calm waters. And and then you leave the, the net overnight and then you go back out the next morning, early morning. And you just go around into the holes, like wherever there's coral or whatever, you know, and, and just start poking into the holes, fish come flying out and they go into the net.

The ones that haven't already been stuck in the net. So and then you have, so you have guys inside of the net and then you have guys outside of the net. Then you have a canoe that kind of follows the guys that are on the outside of the net that are basically pulling the fish off of the net and just throwing them into the canoe.

And so we would literally get a canoe full. And then even like when I was younger like in my teens kind of thing, like, did the [00:06:00] same thing. But when my father used to do it, you know, that's when I first ever saw it and they would bring in a boatload of fish and then they would cook it all up on the beach and have a barbecue and party at night.

And 

Andy: that's so cool. What were you guys typically at? 

Kevin: Waikiki Beach. Like where Duke's statue is at right now. Can you 

Andy: imagine? Yeah. Unreal. No chance that's happening today, right? 

Kevin: No, and there, you know, Duke statue obviously wasn't there. There was a lot of, I mean it was just a complete different world.

There wasn't all that. I mean, the Hyatt hotel had just been built. So, you know, my dad was in movies with John Wayne he was in from here to eternity Debbie Carr. I had pictures of him with Debbie Carr, Vincent Price, John Wayne. I mean, 

Andy: it's awesome, man. Yeah. So, you know, that starstruck thing, 

Kevin: yeah, like, so when I'm saying Pete Longcaravage and I'm talking about starstruck or whatever, you know, like, it's like, it was, it was just, it was Pete.

Andy: so that's, that's the life that I pretty much grew up [00:07:00] around. And, and, you know so 

I kind of want to dig into the, the, the tattoo world because so, so some of you might know that Kevin was was the sought after tattoo artist on a Wahoo for many, many years and how, how long ago can you talk a little bit about that history and how recently you, you were doing that, that work?

Kevin: Yeah, I I tattooed for 35 years and I, I finally had to like officially retire like two years ago because of the Parkinson's, obviously doctors said when I was first diagnosed 12 years ago, you're probably not going to be doing this much longer. You're not going to be able to cycle for very much longer and probably like your dad, similar to your father you know, when you first hear the diagnosis.

You know, you already know because of Michael J. Fox. Right. So, it's, it's like someone just handed you a death sentence. 

Andy: Yeah, but look how old Michael J. Fox is. That's the coolest thing. 

Kevin: [00:08:00] Right, right. But, I mean, the thing is, is that when you hear that there's no cure, 

insert: Yeah. 

Kevin: Your brain, that's all your brain hears.

insert: No 

Kevin: cure. 

insert: Yep. 

Kevin: You know, there's like how long can I fight this? What can I do? You know, like, you don't Right, that's, those aren't the first things that go through your mind. First things that go through your mind are obviously you go through depression, you go through, I can't do this anymore. I'm unable to do this.

Oh my gosh, I'm going to, you know, I've 35 years of tattooing. I've been in a tattoo shop longer than I've not. 

Andy: Yeah. talked to you in the past, just the incredible stories and experiences you had. I think what's really compelling and what I want to highlight as, as we talk is the Is, is how you've sort of gone through that process because you were diagnosed 10 years ago and you really had to, to find your way.

can you kind of speak to if you're comfortable with the day you've got that diagnosis and, and sort of the, what happened, what that process was? Cause I think it's [00:09:00] helpful to a lot of people that have similar. Yeah, 

Kevin: it's, it's you know, I didn't, I didn't get the diagnosis and then just decide like, Hey man, I'm just going to battle this thing like right away.

You know, you gotta one thing about it. I, I would like to really tell people that, that are, that have been diagnosed with it or are diagnosed with whatever else, go through a little bit of a grieving period. Allow yourself to say like, Oh, you know, like grieve about it. And then once you've gone through a grieving period, then you are like, okay, now what?

Am I going to sit here and grovel or am I going to like, I've been fighting my whole life? Whatever. You know I think I might have sent you a picture of what I used to look like. I was 250 pounds on steroids. Like, I mean, just, just, and, not a good person. And Fought all the time, had my nose broken a bunch of times, and now I haven't.

People look at my nose and they go, man, I could fucked it up. I'm like, yeah, well, I didn't win every fight, you know, , [00:10:00] you know, but, you know, but I fought, right? Yeah. 

insert: Yeah. 

Kevin: So it's not scripted like W wf, 

insert: it's it's 

Kevin: right. 

insert: You know.

Kevin: That's just how it's been. I've watched my dad, I watched my brothers. I've watched, you know, we're just, just continually, you don't just give up. And so once I got through the grieving period, I was like, geez, what are you doing? That 

Andy: that's you've got a lot of models, thankfully. You know, that, you know, with that positive fighting spirits, 

Kevin: well, you know what, I'm going to tell you, like, it wasn't really my, my own family that I'm, that I, that really, I, that inspired, 

You know, It was well, obviously Davis Phinney, you know, like the first, one of the first Americans to go to the Olympics and cycling in the first place medal in the, in the, in the Olympics.

Obviously he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. He's one of the less famous people that have Parkinson's, but his, his [00:11:00] book is basically like the Bible within the Parkinson's. Community. 

Andy: I just got chicken skin on that one. For, for listeners, Davis Finney and we're now kind of now transcended into road cycling and he was one of the greatest you know, you know, cyclists of that generation and huge engine and then his son Taylor who lucky enough, he had trained in Las Vegas some, and I got to ride with him.

Just. On his wheel mostly, but yeah, that an incredible story of someone similar to Michael J Fox that had the world, everything going for him and, and, and then that, that kind of that rug gets pulled out and I, and I think, yeah, it 

Kevin: wasn't long after he got the silver medal in the Olympics that he was diagnosed.

So I mean that, you know, that's 35 years ago or something, right. 30, 40 years ago, I'm not sure, but. He still rides his bike to this day. 

Andy: Yeah, it's pretty cool. And that's a huge thing with Parkinson's, right? That, that, that momentum. 

Kevin: Yeah. And you know, like you know, we have this thing that [00:12:00] it's like, what's your mountain?

Right. And it's like, it's not about like riding. He doesn't ride it like the distances or anything anymore. Right. He's not putting in like the miles they used to, but he's still doing it. So it's like, what is your mountain? Is it just to walk around the block? Is it what, you know, Haleakala just happens to be my mountain.

Right now because I'm, I feel like I'm, I'm gonna be able to do it. And I would, I've never done it before, so it's just really a symbol, you know, it's, it's, it's a symbol and it's a big one. And the other a very big, huge inspiration for me was David Bailey. And he didn't even have Parkinson's. He got crippled.

He was one of the winningest motocross racers to ever touch a motocross bike. He's a cross racer. Sure. And he was paraplegic. You know, in a, in a, in practice, in a practice, the accident on a training track out in Southern California, Honda has their own track and, and yeah, I mean, he was one of my idols like back in the day, you know, like not idle, I would say, [00:13:00] but just like one of the guys that I was like, wow, really inspired me.

Yeah. I looked to on a dirt bike, you know, and that was when I was racing motocross and, and then for him to go and be like one of the first guys to ever complete an Ironman in a wheelchair. 

insert: Yeah. It's unreal. And 

Kevin: then win it. And I mean, you know, this guy set like a whole new precedence for, for paraplegic and he didn't give up, but you know what, I read his book and it's the same thing, you know, he went through the grieving period, he went through the depression mode and then he was like, you know what, man, I'm done like this, you know, and he became one of the top triathlete guys, paraplegic triathletes in the world.

He went from one, you know, being one of the best in one thing to one of the best in another thing. 

Andy: That's pretty cool. And I, I think, I mean, some of those guys are wired that way. Right. But I think everybody, everybody is inherently, and sometimes it's, it's a challenge that, that floats you to the top, you know [00:14:00] a lot of people my father in law, he's an incredible story.

I hope to even get my wife on just to interview her someday, but you know, born without legs, they made a movie about him called never looked down. And you know, he, he always said that people that. You know, he felt a lot of people that were quote unquote handicapped were those that were fully you know, had all the faculties, all their abilities, all the capacity to do whatever they wanted, but they didn't do anything.

And sometimes you, you know, that, that trigger for you in life, it can, I want to say it's a blessing, but it can, it can be a fire starter. And I think that that's it didn't, it's not what you really needed, but But you're on fire right now. And I think it's totally bad ass and the cycle to the sun, just so you guys know when he says, what's, what's my mountain, which I love that saying his actual mountain is, Haleakala crater on Maui, which is 36 miles and a 10, 000 foot vertical climb on a bike.

It's an annual bike race. That you're going to do for the first time or, or. 

Kevin: Yeah, the first time I've, [00:15:00] you know, back in, when I raced a long time, like 1999 2000, I was on a bike, a road bike, but that was more of a crit guy, like Spencer type dude, cause I came from a BMX background. So, 

You know, yeah.

So I could put out some watts when I was younger. And so, you know, like climbing Haleakala, I wasn't, like, it didn't seem Like that cool, you know, like, yeah, no, it was like, yeah, I hate climbing, you know, I hate climbing, you know, like you're more of a green 

Andy: jersey guy, not a polka dot jersey guy. 

Kevin: Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.

And, and, and like really along the lines of like Like, you know, Pierce, for instance, like, you know, one of the guys that can't really get over the hills that well either. So, 

Andy: you know, you like that one to go, one to go bell ringing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, you're you're up for it now. And actually, so you're doing the right, obviously as a big challenge for yourself, but you're, you're also raising awareness for Hawaii's Parkinson.

Nonprofit. Can you talk a little bit about that and that, that mission and goal? 

Kevin: Yeah, [00:16:00] well a lot of times what happens with White Parkinson's Association is that we you know, we raise money and it's through, it'll be through either Michael J. Fox or David Spinney Foundation or some other foundation.

Right. You know, a portion of that goes towards that foundation. 

Andy: Sure. 

Kevin: The monies don't get to stay here. 

Andy: Yeah, that's huge. You know, 

Kevin: on the island and which is Something that I've been doing since like, I mean, since 2018, when I did New England, Parkinson's association ride, I was the first person from Hawaii to do that and be a part of that New England ride, which was took 14 years to get all 50 states and Hawaii was the 50th state.

And I was the first one from Hawaii to do that and get all 50 states. So the year that I did it they had all 50 states. And then they also had. and like, you know, other places, which is awesome. So but again, that was through a different, another organization. So what we're trying to not just bring aware awareness [00:17:00] to Hawaii, but also Glenn Higa, which is the president.

of Hawaii Parkinson's Association. We will be most likely on Billy V's morning news I think a week before 

Andy: Haleakala. 

Kevin: But he's a local boy born and raised here, just like myself. He was played triple A baseball diagnosed with Parkinson's and he just went to the Dodgers baseball camp. And they didn't even know he had Parkinson's until like four days in or something.

He was just telling me the story like two weeks ago. It was awesome. 

insert: They're like, 

Kevin: wait, what? Dude, you play like you're, like, you got a, you got a hit. 

You know, like, and, and, and like bass, you know, down on bass and stuff. And everyone was like, whoa. And these are doctors and stuff, you know, that were there.

People that can afford that kind of thing, you know, to go to a Dodgers baseball camp, you know, like right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So they were all like, whoa, you know, but so him and I will, one of our, one of our goals and and, and I know you're familiar with this, Andy is you know, Hawaiians have a lot of [00:18:00] pride, 

Andy: the most, 

Kevin: and part of that pride is not allowing people to see your weaknesses and 

Andy: it took me a while.

Weakness. 

Kevin: Yeah, it took me a while to see that this isn't a weakness. This is something that needs, people need to see as a strength, you know, and and Glenn and I have spoken numerous times about that. I'm trying to get that stigma away from that. It's a, you know, like you want to, hey, it's okay. 

insert: Yeah. 

Kevin: To have this disease, you know, and it's okay to like, To, to say you have it, and it's okay to, to ask for help, or it's okay to do this, or it's okay to do that.

insert: Right. But 

Kevin: it's not okay to say can't. 

insert: that's my thing. 

Kevin: Like I can't, and I don't even use it in my, in my sentences anymore because of your company, because of you, because of your father, I say unable, 

Andy: unable. Yeah, not at this time, 

Kevin: unable. I'm like, you know, I'm unable to do that today. [00:19:00] You know, the body just isn't going, going that way, but yeah.

Andy: Well, there's a, there's a teacher on Oahu real quick that you'll like this. Cause it's a, it's a, it's kind of a debit credit scenario. She's created in her math class at Wahiwa middle school. She's a math teacher. And if you say you can't do something, you have to write down two things that you can do and put them in this jar, which is hilarious.

So maybe there's something you can't do, but you, you have to have a refresher on the things that are possible. We just got connected with her and sent her a bunch of gear. And it was so cool to see that. That model, that concept that but, but kind of back to what you're saying. I was curious if, if Hawaiians do you know if that's something that Parkinson's is, you know, you've seen, or, or is it are you a unique person within to, to be diagnosed?

No, there's 

Kevin: a lot of, there's a lot of Hawaiians that have part, or locals that have Parkinson's, but they come from a generation that is, like I said, proud, you [00:20:00] know, or, or, you know, It's just not, you don't talk about that kind of stuff. 

insert: Yeah. 

Kevin: And but I'm, I'm saying it's okay. You know, we're, we're, we're both saying like, Hey, dude.

Yeah. I 

Andy: love that about you, man. Cause I'm going through that with my dad and watching it like it is okay. And, and and, and for those of you that have a loved one or you're a caregiver, I, I, man, I can't throw enough support behind you. I, I think Kevin feel the same way as my mom was this, the most incredible caregiver of all time because, you know, as it progresses, it gets more complex 

But the patient itself, my dad he was in there. You know what I mean? You start to get where you can't really see their emotions because of Parkinson's and there's some. Some different things that occur, but they're in there and they're starving for opportunities to, to move and get out and about.

And you know, I, I started pushing them in his Walker, you know, around the neighborhood and he was, he was just stoked. So I think that that's a really important thing to reinforce is what you're doing. And [00:21:00] I think that's that message is important. 

Kevin: Yeah.sometimes some people find out that I have Parkinson's and then they'll start, and if I'm, if I'm speaking or stuttering sometimes or I'm having dyskinesia and shaking and things like that.

Kevin, are you okay? Dude, stop. 

Andy: The slow down, dude. Oh, it's the worst. My dad would look at me actually, I'd get some side eye from him. Because you, because at first I would, I'd get this side eye from him and I was like, oh shit. It's the worst. I'm, you know, I'm treating him like a child or yeah, something else.

Kevin: He's, you were just saying he's in there. In there's in there there, man. 

Andy: He's in there completely in there. And it's just that There's how, can you describe that? The motor skills and motor skills Yeah. Skills, yeah. The motor skills and a face. It's 

Kevin: hard for you to get to, to bring that from thought to vocalize it.

Sound: Yep, yep. 

Kevin: So the brain, the dopamine is, is basically the dopamine door is closed, and so it, it's not allowing. That flow of just automatic things to [00:22:00] happen, like speaking. 

insert: Right, right. So 

Kevin: the thought comes, but then it's a, now you have to think about what you're saying and that takes a little longer than the automatic, just reply.

And so, and then sometimes you slur your words for me. I slur sometimes I stutter. It's more along the slurring and then so when, when someone hears me slurring, you know, it's funny because I was watching Michael J. Fox's it's called still Michael J. Fox, man. It was so badass. If 

Andy: you could watch anybody out there.

It is, it is so cool. And they did such a good job with telling a story through the movies. But yeah, anyways, 

Kevin: yeah. Yeah. And it, and it will give you an idea of what can cause this disease too. Just overabundance of, of, of anything really. Like he was, it doesn't run in his family and all that stuff, but yeah.

To go back to that, he said, you know, if my family treats me any different than they do because they tease him and mess with him and stuff and sometimes he has [00:23:00] like a thousand emails that he never replies to and his wife's like, what the heck? And he's just like, I meant to, I just forgot, you know, and he's, he, he's just like, man, if they treated me any different, he goes, I don't think I'd have made it this far.

insert: Yeah. 

Kevin: Meaning he doesn't want to be treated like, like, You know, Michael, are you okay? Yeah, no, he, 

Andy: he, my dad didn't either. And I, and I could tell, and the patient's thing as a caregiver is so important because and you, you get on that interval where you realize, okay, there, he's got a thought he's, he's trying to get it out.

I have to just listen and be patient. And then, and I wouldn't let him give up because sometimes he, Would say oh, you know forget it or I was like no dad, you know, like what was it you were gonna say, you know That that's yeah, I think an important thing for people to understand is is that you're in there, you know It's 

Kevin: well the hardest part is to is by the time we we can we think of it [00:24:00] Then we want to answer it depends if you're going through dyskinesia or you're in that mode of real It's really bad that day by the time we get the idea and are putting it to our lips We've already we've forgotten which is the saddest part about it all.

insert: Yeah, 

Kevin: and I always say like when I do that I'm, like i'm like i'm not sure which where the old Crosses the Parkinson's yet, you know, , 

Andy: yeah. Yeah, right. No, I just blame it on age. Yeah. Because it probably is and, and, and hard living. You gotta, you gotta, yeah. You gotta account for that sometimes. Yeah. I 

Kevin: lived a hard life.

I, I've put a lot of, did a lot of damage to my body and it doesn't run in my family and it, it, it's, when I watch that my two, you know, my still Michael J. Fox. It really opened my eyes to like, wow, you know, I didn't, I, I didn't figure it 

Andy: that way. I didn't, I guess I should have put that together. But maybe you guys lived in like 30 [00:25:00] years.

You lived a full life of craziness and experiences. Is that what 

Kevin: triggered it? I don't know. You don't have enough time on your podcast, podcast to go through. I know. I know. There's one, one or two days, or a weekend of a tattoo's life that I lived back when it was, you know, before social media, before all that stuff.

You know, you, you, we lived it and, and we lived it to the fullest and, and craziest and you know, rock stars wanted to be tattooers back when I was, in my first 10 years. 

Andy: Yep. I believe that because, and you were associating with sort of people that 

Kevin: famous in the industry.

Like I actually worked. Yeah. I actually worked in one of the most famous shops in the world and I was skin deep. 30 years ago, and I was blessed to work next to, man, I mean, I, you know, I can name names, like, all day. Wes Grimm, one of the top ten tattoo artists in the world Gil Monte Jack [00:26:00] Rudy.

I mean, the list goes on Paul Booth. It's just like, literally within the first two years of my, of me tattooing, I was like thrown into like this thrown into the ocean, you know, and, and I was working next to these guys that were just like phenomenal. And then, you know, two years into tattooing and you got these guys looking over your shoulder, you either.

Get it together. 

insert: Yeah, 

Kevin: or you you don't and like Rick walter said to me one time sit in the middle of my shop My this is one of my own shops years later. Rick walter's another famous name. In the industry and I was like man rick. I was just in a downer, you know, and I was like, I I I got this disease.

I'm like, I don't know what to do. I feel like these kids are just getting so good and Listen up, kid. How long you been doing this now? I was like, 25 years? He's like, there's a reason why you're still doing it. Because you must be doing something right. What do I do? I'm like, you do eagles, right? [00:27:00] And he's like, yeah.

And I do them well and I do them fast. Don't change for nobody. 

Andy: Yeah, a lot of eagles with with the military. So I think Yeah, I've tattooed 

Kevin: a lot of military. 

know it's funny because I've tattooed a lot of famous people. And when people ask me, Who's the most famous person you ever tattooed?

I say, you ever heard of Marcus Luttrell? And half of them do and half of them don't know who he is. Most, most of the military guys do. Even the young kids know him. In the military, especially the navy guys, you know, he's he's yeah, definitely a but I did, you know I tattooed him and his brother's twin brother probably 17 or 18 years ago before they went on that mission the lone survivor movie that mark wahlberg played and you know if you're familiar with that or if you're not, you know, go see it It's an awesome movie and it's a really good story.

And yeah that's that's the most important thing I love 

Andy: that you said that. And for listeners, I, my career path right now is I raise [00:28:00] money for National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership. So I'm, I get to work with a Medal of Honor recipients. And 

Kevin: yeah, it's incredible. I love your verbiage 

Andy: there.

Yeah, it's incredible. Your 

Kevin: verbiage. 

Andy: Yeah, yeah. Oh, it's an honor, man. It's a, it's a complete and, you know, it's, we, we could dig into that whole subject matter, but people that serve you know, as I'm getting these different experiences in life, I, I start to realize, you know, It's, it's cool to be around athletes and famous people.

It's an honor to be around people that have served, whether it's, you know first responders or military people, you know, people that just are really sacrificing things and including, you know, mental health's a big part of the brand and a lot of what they shoulder is in their experiences for us, I think, 

Kevin: you know, from personal experience because of your father.

Yeah. You know, going to the hospital and having these caregivers, your mom watching her, you know, this is not, [00:29:00] it's not an easy disease. This isn't an easy disease to deal with somebody like when you marry, when you're married to somebody and all of a sudden that person gets diagnosed. Like I did my wife, then she didn't sign up for it.

And as much as a person. can love you or say, you know, through thick and thin, whatever the, you know, whatever you want to call your, your wedding vows. This is a hard disease. 

insert: Really hard. 

Kevin: And not everyone is built I guess for lack of a better term, like your mom. 

Andy: No, it was incredible. It was, it was the hardest job she ever said she had.

Yup. And witnessing it was, and, You know, I came to just support as a caregiver and ended up sleeping next to him and just kind of because caregiving, it does fall. Typically, if you don't have wealth or really, you would have to have significant wealth to, to, and,it's still, you still want family, you know, because you want, because if not, you're, you know, that person may not know that.[00:30:00] 

They're in there, you know you have a little, a little nooks and crannies of his mind and and you can love on him and kind of, you know, just really sure that 

Kevin: is huge when it comes to the long term. 

insert: Yeah. 

Kevin: Right. Like when you're, when you're, you're talking about long term Health and just life and everything.

When, when you have someone that's around you, that's familiar. When I'm in the middle of a, of a full blown Parkinson's episode. Now, my, my roommate that I live with, he's been my friend for 25 plus years. He sees it. And he's like, do you need anything? And sometimes I'm, it's just, I'm sure your dad went through the same days where he just sleeps like all day.

Andy: Yeah, he would, he would. And it would really worry you because the, the setback in in motor function, you know, like you would, it's like the new, but the body is the 

Kevin: same. That's, you know what, that's, that's something, man, this may sound, [00:31:00] I don't know, whatever, you know you want to call it, but I feel blessed to have gotten this disease because I was such an a hole when I was younger and I took so many things for granted.

I had no patience, no humility. I'm still working on all that, but man, this disease has taught me patience. It's taught me humility. It's taught me that money isn't nothing, you know, true wealth. It comes within family and friends 

insert: and 

Kevin: I can only count. A handful that I can count on, you know what I'm saying?

Like, so my friend that I live with, he'll see me in these days and he won't even wake me up. He'll just come home and then like, give me a nudge and set like food on the, on the bed next to me. 

Andy: That's so cool, man. And honestly, you know, if he, I bet he has perspective and I bet he feels really good about it.

Cause you, you know, all of us can go through a day worrying about [00:32:00] stupid stuff that. Is mostly about the, the things you're trying to acquire, the experiences you're trying to have, and your setbacks related to that BS. And if you get an experience to be a caregiver, I, I can't even tell you how fulfilling, fulfilling it was for me.

And I say caregiver as in I was an ancillary, like I was Robin to the Batman. I wasn't even really Robin. And but I, my, I had the luck of, I got to, I got to slide in. Yeah. When my mom was completely overwhelmed with managing the disease and, and just love on dad, you know, just get, you know, I was the fun parent.

You got the easy part. Yeah, I did. I had the easy part. I just feel like, oh no, we got this mom. And, and, and then you kind of need like caregiving, you almost need like two people cause you need, you know, you need that other person to lift up the patient when, when the caregiver is beaten down. And then you also have to lift up the caregiver and, and get, 

Kevin: it's very emotional, right?

Andy: Yeah, I want to fit in some [00:33:00] stuff before we go to yeah, So you've got a race tomorrow, right? You got a ride. 

Kevin: I have a ride this Saturday. 

Andy: This Saturday. Okay. That is talk about that a little bit. 

Kevin: It's the rock star ride. It's just it's basically like, you know, you just go out and you just ride around the famous diamond head, basically, you know, it's rough living here on the islands and, uh, We get to ride around Diamond Head and, and you know, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Hawaii Parkinson's Association and then a portion of it goes to helping me get to Haleakala to do my, to do this, this event.

So basically you just throw on an old rock, you know rock and roll t shirt and ride around diamond head and do laps and, you know, you donate some money, stuff like that. For the cause, you know, that's all shirts. There's going to be t shirts and we've got your, we got your lanyards. We got canned lanyards that we're giving away for raffling off.

And you know, we've got, oh man, there's like, there's all kinds of stuff. 

insert: [00:34:00] Yeah. That's awesome. 

Kevin: Free bagels and, and, and cream cheese and, you know, from Jagger's cafe. We've got, I mean, there's just, you know, so blessed brother at how many people have been You stepping forward and wanting to be a part of this and well, you're, you're, you know, the holy 

Andy: Yeah.

You're leading the way. I mean, that's, it's a, it's so, it's so important to have people that community I'm sure is thankful to you. I saw the TV interview and I, just think I, I can't remember who said it, but just that you're, you and the cycling community are just so welcoming and warm, and.

People are are learning about Parkinson's through that and then being able to support you. So I gave you credit for that. And I thank you for that with you know, all I, you know, experience with my dad and learning about the disease. So I, I would, I'd love to ask you how else can we help and where can people donate where would you send them to, support 

Kevin: so I'm going to be putting Posting up here in the next within [00:35:00] either tonight or tomorrow.

The flyers, there's only two flyers, one you can, it's a, it'll be like a QR code and you can just scan the QR code. It'll take you straight to the white Parkinson's association and you can donate whatever you want and donate it to you can donate it in my name. You can donate it in, you don't even have to donate it in my name.

You can donate it in like a climb for the cause is basically what it is. So It. Yeah. Climb for the cause, CCFT, whatever. Okay. C? Yeah. Well, we'll, for the 

and then there's another, there'll be another QR code that you can donate through Wolf Pack.

It's, it's, that'll, that'll be for the Rockstar ride. It's gonna be up there, or you can actually just scan it on your phone or whatever, and then donate towards that. That actually. You can buy a shirt through that one. T shirts I believe are 20 or 25 bucks. And then a portion of that goes to the White Parkinson's Association.

And the other portion goes to helping me get to, to doing this event. And yeah, we'll be on the, like I said, [00:36:00] daily view a week before I June 22nd is, is this is Haleakala. 

Andy: Love it, man. I'm I'm so proud of you. I just love where your mind's at right now.

Kevin: So Oh, one last 

thing, maybe you can edit this in somehow. 

Andy: So 

Kevin: I went to the maybe I went to my neurologist the other day. And this will be something that, that you're, you're familiar with is that you know, they do the it's a, it's a movement disorder. test of some sort. It's called MDR or something.

Rating. Movement Disorder Rating. And so I'm sure when your dad first got diagnosed, he was doing the movement disorders. Finger tapping and all that kind of stuff. Right. So I just, yeah. Okay. So, um, there's a low bar, there's, there's medium, there's, there's high numbers my, I just went to the neurologist the other day and so my numbers were at 22 a year and a half ago.

And the other day when I went in, they're at 22. 

Andy: That's awesome. And that's like, that's such a good lesson for [00:37:00] people. And it's so good job. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's great. That's the baseline thing that, you know, that was always tough with dad is I would, we'd find a baseline and we'd want to keep them there as long as possible.

And you're younger, you're fine. You know, he was, he was in his late seventies. So he was going to have a bunch of other stuff too, but man, that's awesome. And that's like, you're all in man. You're, you're dedicated. You're, listening to your body. You're training, you're eating right. And you're staying positive.

Kevin: It's just a lifestyle now, you know? So it's not even a really think about it thing. It's just a, like you take a moment and you kind of chill, whatever you have to do, and then you're just like, okay, it's time to get back to it. 

Andy: And it's it's good for everybody involved. So yeah, it's super 

Kevin: crazy. Thank you so much. I appreciate you, Amy. I have from the beginning and you've been, you know, one of the other big helpers of mine has been believed, you know, and, and believe is, is a, is a a Christian, you know, believe, and I just think it [00:38:00] just, it goes so well together with what your, your motto is.

insert: Yeah, no, I, you know, 

Kevin: I love that. Believe and then can period at the end. It's just like, you know, this is it. This is, this is really it right here. You know, this is what it's all about. Like you can. 

Andy: Yep. No matter. Yeah. Especially with stories like you. So. We'll we'll, we'll stay followed up on, on all of this.

Okay. All right I will I'll catch you soon. Have a great evening. 

Kevin+Andy: All right, brother. Love you. Take care. Take care. Bye 

Andy: bye