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Curing Parkinson’s is just a matter of time. And endurance. Donate now.

Inspired To Endure

We push human limits to find a cure for Parkinson's Disease.

Human Powered Potential is a launchpad for bold, imagination-capturing endurance events that help raise funds to support The Michael J. Fox Foundation.

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A RECORD-BREAKING 2,800-MILE ROW
RAISED $43 MILLION FOR PARKINSON’S RESEARCH

In June 2024, four friends set out to do the impossible. Brendan Cusick, Scott Forman, Peter Durso, and Patrick Morrissey launched from Monterey, California, rowing west toward Hawaii.

41 days. 30-foot swells. Salt sores. Sea sickness. Equipment failures. Unrelenting exhaustion. Two hours rowing. Two hours rest. Around the clock. All human-powered. They not only made it to Hanalei Bay—they raised $43 million for Parkinson’s research for The Michael J. Fox Foundation, and Patrick became the first person diagnosed with Parkinson’s to row the Pacific.

The team set out to honor the strength of those who face trials greater than the Pacific Ocean could ever present, and proved that when we row together and keep moving forward—the impossible becomes inevitable.

The Latest Happenings:

What Crossing the Pacific for Parkinson’s Set in Motion — One Year Later 06.09.2025 | michaeljfox.org
Team Human Powered Potential Wins 2025 Cash, Sweat & Tears Award 03.06.2025 | peertopeerforum.com
Patrick Morrissey didn’t let Parkinson’s disease stop him from rowing across the Pacific Ocean 08.02.2024 | cnn.com
Rowers Complete Record-breaking 2,800-mile Open Ocean Row to Benefit Michael J. Fox Foundation, Increase Fundraising Goal to $41 Million 08.02.2024 | prnewswire.com
Eat, Sleep, Row, Repeat: Team Human Powered Potential Conquers the Pacific 07.23.2024 | michaeljfox.org
Durango residents complete World’s Toughest Row from California to Hawaii 07.20.2024 | durangoherald.com
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The Next Chapter

Inspired by the inaugural row, HPP is launching a new slate of endurance events featuring athletes living with Parkinson’s disease—to raise funds for a cure and to help show the world what’s possible when we keep moving forward and challenge our limits. A team of eight female athletes, one of whom is living with Parkinson’s, is now training to row the Great American Loop—a 5000+-mile nautical odyssey.

This undertaking, the Second Wave, passes the oars to the next wave of warriors and kicks off a series of new endurance events dedicated to supporting The Michael J. Fox Foundation.

WHY WE ENDURE

Every HPP stroke, stride, or mile forward supports The Michael J. Fox Foundation—and brings a cure one step closer.

Parkinson’s is the world’s fastest-growing neurological disorder. The number of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s doubled from 1990 to 2015.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research in the world, dedicated to finding a cure through research and developing improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s.

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HPP's original "World's Toughest Row" crew meets HPP's Second Wave team, who will row the Great American Loop in 2027!
About Us

ENDURE FOR A CURE

Human Powered Potential is a launchpad for bold, imagination-capturing athletic endeavors led by individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Proceeds raised from HPP events benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s efforts to advance Parkinson’s research, treatments, and support for patients worldwide.

Team HPP’s inaugural row across the Pacific in 2024 broke records, inspired people around the world, and raised $43 million for Parkinson’s research. HPP is launching a new slate of ambitious endurance events—featuring athletes living with Parkinson’s—to raise funds for a cure and inspire solidarity, exercise, and hope within the PD community and beyond.

Learn More About MJFF

Rebels with a Cause

Every HPP expedition is an act of rebellion, hope, and a reminder to never underestimate someone living with PD. Our movement celebrates what humans can do when they challenge their limits, keep moving forward, and show up for each other. Every stroke, stride, or mile forward supports The Michael J. Fox Foundation—and brings a cure one step closer.

Defiant Hope

Hope is our driving force. Every mile traveled, every dollar raised, every story shared moves us closer to new PD treatments and a future cure. Scientific breakthroughs are within reach, with biomarkers identified, gene therapies advancing, and research timelines compressed by decades. The cure for PD isn’t a distant dream—it’s a proximate reality. But like endurance athletes, breakthroughs need fuel. They need funding.

HPP ADVENTURES

We’re building a slate of new audacious endurance events to help show the world what’s possible when we push our limits, and help find a cure for the millions who endure every day with Parkinson’s.

First Wave
2,800 MILES.
41 DAYS.
$43 MILLION.
completed
Second Wave
GREAT AMERICAN LOOP

The Great American Loop Route is a 5,000+-mile nautical adventure. Follow along as eight female athletes train to take on this challenge.

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Coming Soon
Call for Adventure

We’re launching an open call for bold, imagination-capturing athletic endeavors to support individuals with Parkinson’s who undertake ambitious physical challenges while raising funds for The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Sign up to receive launch alerts.

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