ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Johnny Rodriguez always asked a lot of his body. He played multiple sports in high school and college and then went on to a seven-year career in professional lacrosse—a lifestyle that kept him in elite physical condition. In 2023, at the age of 35, he was working as a high school lacrosse coach, expecting his first child, and still working out every day when he received a shocking diagnosis of ALS.
Johnny says he has always wondered whether the toll his participation in elite athletics took on his body influenced his condition. That’s why he jumped at the chance to join the Champion Insights study. Champion Insights, a collaboration between Answer ALS, Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS, and ALS TDI, aims to investigate why certain groups—including elite athletes, first responders, and military personnel—appear to get ALS at higher rates than the general population.
Today, on Endpoints, Johnny joins us to share his story, his Champion Insights experience, and why it’s important to him to participate in research.
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