Meet Ed “Severus” Snape
Enjoy our new segment in the Weekly Grind so you can meet and learn more about our fighters! This week, meet Ed “Severus” Snape!
- When were you diagnosed with Parkinson’s?
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s two years ago. I had been experiencing tremors on my left hand for several months but attributed this to the aging process. Then my GP told me that he thought it might be essential tremor. A second opinion confirmed that it was PD.
- When did you start coming to 110 Fitness?
Immediately after the diagnosis I reached out to a neighbor who had PD and he referred me to 110 Fitness. A meeting with Brett convinced me that exercise was the best route to slowing PD progression.
- What’s your favorite class or activity at 110?
I participate in the 6pm boxing classes on Mondays and Wednesdays and occasionally the 10am class on Saturday morning. I have developed a bond with my fellow PD sufferers and really appreciate the efforts of Brett, Anna, Jill and all the volunteers to make the program a success. I don’t have a particular favorite exercise but I find the battle ropes most challenging whereas Bob Shields makes this exercise look so effortless!
- What do(did) you do for work?
Going to school in England, I had visions of being a rock star and formed my own rock group in the fifties, but abandoned this thought when other, more talented groups appeared on the scene. I got a scholarship to Leeds University where I joined the Air Squadron and did several part time jobs, including being a truck driver while working toward my PhD, getting married to my wife Ann and having two daughters. Immediately after getting my PhD in 1965, I flew to the US where I had a job waiting for me with a large mining and materials company. I arrived in New York with $50 in cash, no credit card and no credit rating. Fortunately, with my job offer letter, I was able to get a bank loan, bought a VW and rented a small house. Ann and our daughters arrived one month later.
I spent the first 12 years in R&D, wrote a bunch of technical papers and patents and travelled around the US giving technical presentations at various conferences. I started some new businesses for my company in the mid-seventies including one that pioneered the use of metal hydrides for hydrogen storage and various applications including hydrogen powered vehicles. This led to a career shift where I became involved in venture capital investing, first for my employer and then for several venture capital funds I formed with three partners. We raised funds in The US, Europe and Asia and between 1979 and 2023, I founded, invested in, and served on the boards of around 50 companies, the majority in health care, in the US and Europe. Like all venture capital investments, I had my share of losers but a good percentage of these companies were either acquired or went public.
Ann and I will be forever grateful for the welcome and help we got in America and the many close American friends we made in the last 60 years, many of whom have sadly passed.
- What would you like us to know about you and your family?
I have been married to Ann for 63 years and have two daughters Andrea and Julie and a son Robert, six grandchildren Allie, Holly, Eliza, Lily, Andrew and Alex and three great grandchildren, Eloise, Oliver and Isabel. Thankfully, all of our grandchildren earned degrees in various disciplines and are gainfully employed except Allie who is now focused on her three kids. When not working at an insurance company in New York, Eliza is the musician in the family and writes and performs her own songs. She has been the opening act for several well known groups and individuals.
- Any fun hobbies you’d like to share?
I had lots of hobbies, starting with pot-holing (caving) while at University (which involved some near death experiences) and after Ann and I came to the States we enjoyed sailing, skiing and scuba diving. I played rugby at school and university but became an avid soccer player and coach in America. I played my last soccer game when I was 65 and never broke a bone. I enjoy tennis but I have a hard time finding playing partners so I have switched to pickle ball. I continue to get frustrated with golf and agree with Mark Twain that golf “is a good walk spoiled”. I love playing the guitar but unfortunately arthritis and PD has taken its toll on this activity.
I am a strong advocate of conservation and the importance of a healthy planet for future generations of humans, animals and plants. Every year, I support an orphan elephant or rhino for each member of my family and I have accumulated quite a large herd in Kenya.
- How has 110 Fitness impacted your life outside of the gym?
I really believe that 110 Fitness has made a significant impact on my mental and physical well being. When I was first diagnosed with PD my first reaction was “Oh S***”. Then I reflected on all the blessings that God has bestowed on me starting with my wife and family. I know that there will be many struggles to come but they pale in comparison that others are facing around the world. For me life is good, every moment is precious and 110 Fitness has become part of my life.