Anthony Zahn

Anthony Cleverdon Zahn was born on October 14, 1974 in Riverside, California. He was diagnosed with a degenerative neuropathy called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease when he was 15 years old. CMT gradually reduced his strength and function in his lower legs and hands. Although CMT made walking, running, and most sports difficult for Anthony, he fell in love with cycling after reading about Greg LeMond’s 1989 Tour de France victory. Cycling was a perfect fit for someone with his condition, capitalizing on his aerobic ability while providing stability and security for his feet and ankles. In a sense, it gave him wings.

Anthony’s passion for cycling shaped much of his life from that time onward. He began competing in triathlon relays with friends and began going for long training rides and racing his bike on weekends. He worked in local bike shops, then opened his own shop — Anthony’s Cyclery — when he was just 22 years old. In addition to running the shop, he sponsored a competitive shop team, helping dozens of racers get their start in the sport.

 

Confronted with the progression of CMT and inspired by another paralympic cyclist, Anthony transitioned to paracycling competitions in 2005. He quickly rose within the paralympic ranks, representing the U.S. at international competitions and earning a spot on the 2008 paralympic team in Beijing, where he won a bronze medal in the time trial. Over the course of his career, Anthony also raced in Australia, Colombia, Mexico, Canada, France, Italy, Ireland, and Spain, winning a bronze medal at the Paracycling World Championships as well. He also competed at the London Paralympics in 2012, completing both the time trial and the road race.

 

Throughout Anthony’s cycling career, he suffered around a dozen concussions in crashes, losing consciousness in several instances. In the last 10 years of his life, he found it more difficult to keep focus and to read long passages. Nonetheless, his passion for cycling continued even beyond his competitive days. He loved working on his own bikes, but he also jumped at the chance to perform repairs on friends’ bikes. He also took up coaching, helping cyclists of all abilities — including his brother, Patrick — to meet their fitness or competition goals. In 2018, Anthony completed one of his own long-standing goals to climb Mt Haleakala in Maui — over 10,000 feet of climbing in one day — with his brother, Patrick, wife, Liz, and crucial support from Mom and Dad.

 

In August 2020, Anthony passed away just three months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Because of the likelihood that his accumulated head trauma might lead to CTE, before he passed he selflessly decided to donate his body to research in the hopes that his accidents and the resulting cognitive impairment might provide valuable data for other concussion sufferers.

 

Anthony was a staunch advocate for brain safety in all aspects of recreation, especially at the youth levels. He was well-read on the link between football and CTE and was an ardent opponent of youth tackle football. His family honors his Legacy by continuing to stress brain safety. Those who bike past members of the Zahn family without a helmet on will hear about it. One of Anthony’s worst crashes came from a short ride to the grocery store when he was not wearing a helmet.

Anthony met all of his challenges with courage and grace. He was a superb athlete who gave his all in every event he entered. He was an engaged and conscientious coach and a generous sponsor. He was loved dearly by his friends, family, and wife, Liz.

 

Keep Your Eye on the Ball (and Your Brain)

Posted: November 16, 2015

A naturally verbose and upbeat man, Chuck inevitably began to speak with his neighbors. These lucky fans were in for a treat. They were sitting next to a legend, someone who had spent the last ­­182 days on the road and seen 223 baseball games at every major ballpark across the country. It was the second to last day of an epic trip that spanned the entire 2015 regular season. And the fans next to Chuck were probably debating whether or not to stay for the whole doubleheader.

Chuck’s baseball knowledge dwarfs even the most avid fans’, yet he doesn’t flaunt his acumen. He loves the game, and talks baseball for the sake of his passion. We’ve all spent a bus or plane ride trapped next to a chatty know-it-all, but that is never the experience with Chuck Booth. He is a pleasure to talk to and gives off a general aura of wellbeing and good intentions. But that hasn’t always been the case.

 

Chuck devoted his teenage years to the baseball diamond and football field. He threw himself into sports with the same passion that has carried him across the nation over the past year. However, his early athletic potential was jeopardized by a series of concussions both on and off the field that ultimately left him unable to play. All in all, Chuck recounts nine total concussions, one of which happened during an automobile accident in September of 2010.

Some of the symptoms from Chuck’s head traumas persist, although many have subsided or improved. He still battles dizzy spells, blurred vision, migraines, and sensitivity to light. However, these nuisances are a far cry from the man who once had to shut himself off from the world, a man that other people considered avoidant.

Chuck embarked on his journey across the country in part to recover from his most recent head trauma. With a dictate to take 6 months off from work, Chuck approached the problem proactively. He didn’t surrender into a concussed oblivion and let the symptoms rule him. Instead, he used the insurance settlement from his accident to tour the United States and do what he loves best: eat, breathe, and sleep baseball.

With a budget of just 100 dollars per game, Chuck made it work. His meager allowance proved sufficient for transportation, lodging, tickets, and food. Chuck attributes the daily grind of planning and putting one foot in front of the other as an essential factor in his progress. It has allowed him to reclaim his seat as the jovial fan that is a pleasure to be next to.

While on his admirable (and envy-inspiring) journey, Chuck helped promote awareness for his condition on behalf of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, which he selected as his charity designation. Chuck spoke candidly about his experience and why concussion awareness is so important in dozens of interviews that have appeared in newspapers, television, and online.

Chuck’s bitter history with brain injuries is one that many ex-athletes can identify with. But his tale of therapeutic recovery-via-baseball – like that rare MLB tripleheader – is rather unique.

Brandi Chastain on Safer Soccer

Posted: July 1, 2015

U.S. Soccer icon Brandi Chastain discusses the legacy that she wants to leave: making the game of soccer safer for kids by eliminating headers until age 14.