'Not going to let this define me': Montreal martial artist with Parkinson's rakes in medals
Walking down the hallway to the West End Cavendish gym in Cote St. Luc, you may hear some heavy thuds.
They're not caused by construction. Through the door, there's a man body-slamming other men who outweigh him by 40 pounds, in some cases.
The body-slammer is 54-year-old Haskel Garmaise, who's been practising martial arts for nearly his entire life. He's also a teacher and fitness trainer.
CTV News visited him at the gym earlier this month.
"We train in a Japanese mentality," Garmaise said. "[It's] disciplined and strict, and rigid, and I like that."
Words like that only begin to explain how tough this man is.
Three years ago, Garmaise wasn't feeling well.
"I got up from my kitchen table, and I fell down," he recalled. "And I got up a second time and I said to my wife something's wrong, something's not right."
Doctors would later confirm he had Parkinson's disease.
It was a harder blow than anything he'd ever felt in combat.
"Everything I do is physical, from martial arts to weightlifting to training people. That's how I define my entire life. It was a killer," Garmaise said. "The first five days were disastrous, and I get emotional even thinking about it."
But from a very dark place, Garmaise found an inner strength that defined so much of his life.
"I said, 'No, I'm not going to let this define me; I'm not going to let this be who I am. I live with Parkinson's, but I'm not going to be a victim of Parkinson's.'"
It hasn't been an easy road. Garmaise's muscles became stiff, and his fine motor skills were diminished.
Things like clearing dishes from the table are a challenge.
But, strangely, when he practices martial arts, the symptoms seem to vanish.
"Because I built these neurological pathways at a young age, I'm able to do these gross motor skills, like jumping kicks, throwing guys around," he explained.
But even that wasn't enough for Garmaise.
A man who thrives on challenges, he decided to compete in traditional forms at martial arts tournaments.
Last February, he won two gold medals at a provincial tournament in Ste-Therese, and he followed that up by winning four medals at nationals in Ottawa last May.
Then, in October, at the world championships in Orlando, Florida, Garmaise competed against competitors from 16 countries.
He came away with two bronze medals.
"Nobody at the tournament knew I had Parkinson's. I didn't tell anybody so the judging was not a sympathetic judging. It was impartial," he explained.
He said he did it to prove to himself, his students and his daughter that no matter what life throws at you, you can win by not giving up.
"The biggest fight you're ever going to have — it doesn't matter if it's on the street with an opponent, or multiple opponents — is always going to be yourself," he said.
"It's always going to be how you face the situation."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Thunderstorms with tornado risk in some areas in Ontario, snow elsewhere in Canada
Canadians can expect a mixed bag of weather, with forecasts warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and snow in some areas across western Canada.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
opinion Joe Biden uses bully pulpit to bully Donald Trump on debates
Donald Trump had spent weeks needling U.S. President Joe Biden for his refusal to commit to a debate. But Washington political columnist Eric Ham describes how in one fell swoop, Biden ingeniously stole the issue from the Trump campaign and made it his own.
'All hell broke loose': Passengers on Singapore Airlines flight describe nightmare at 37,000 feet
Passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence on Tuesday described a sudden, dramatic drop as 'all hell broke loose' on board the Boeing airliner carrying 229 passengers and crew.
How to remove ticks and what to know about these bloodsuckers
Ticks are parasitic bloodsuckers, capable of spreading deadly disease, and they’re becoming increasingly common. Here’s what you need to know about them.
Norway, Ireland and Spain say they are recognizing a Palestinian state in a historic move
Norway, Ireland and Spain said on Wednesday they are recognizing a Palestinian state, in a historic but largely symbolic move that deepens Israel’s isolation more than seven months into its grinding war against Hamas in Gaza.
Canadians feel grocery inflation getting worse, two in five boycotting Loblaw: poll
Almost two-thirds of Canadians feel that inflation at the grocery store is getting worse, a new poll suggests, even as food inflation has been steadily cooling.
Barbie will make dolls to honour Venus Williams, Christine Sinclair and other athletes
Barbie dolls will honour Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair and tennis champion Venus Williams, plus seven other athletes as part of a project announced by Mattel on Wednesday.
Ontario mother loses $2,500 to text scammer pretending to be daughter
An Ontario mother lost $2,500 to a scammer pretending to be her daughter asking for help in late April.