Allison Fisher - Parkinson’s disease - retiring from professional competition

OverTheNut said:
Best wishes to Allison Fisher. Raised the female game to a different level.

Diagnosed with Parkinson's. Horrible thing for anyone to get.

EDIT: This was her statement on her Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/AFathlete )

I have some deeply personal news that I’m now ready to share.
Last year, I was diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.
I chose to keep my diagnosis private for a while because I needed time to process what it meant for me, my life and, of course, my career.
Cue sports have been such an enormous part of my life. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to play the game I love at the highest level for so many years, travel the world, compete against amazing players and make friendships that will last a lifetime.
As Parkinson’s has begun to affect the precision I need to compete at the highest level, I have made the very difficult decision to retire from professional competition.
This may be the end of one chapter, but it is certainly not the end of my journey in cue sports.
I still love this game as much as I ever have, and I plan to remain very much a part of it — through teaching, commentary, Legends of the Cue, appearances and other projects that I look forward to sharing with you.
You can read more about my diagnosis and my decision in the latest issue of Billiards Digest and hear more from me on Legends of the Cue.
Most importantly, I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career. The messages, friendships, memories and encouragement have meant more to me than you may ever know.
There is still much more ahead.
❤️

Allison
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Its admirable how she remains so positive and endearing. You go Ally!!!😍
St. Louis will always be ready to welcome you back!!!
 
1990s. Chalkers, a great room in San Francisco only had one snooker table, but owner Sue Backman decided to hold a snooker tournament. Allison, a few local house pros( all pool players), and a fine Canadian player competed. I was sitting in the mostly empty bleachers one afternoon when Allison sat down near me. We had a wonderful conversation. She was excited to tell me that she'd just purchased her first house. Then a woman came by and Allison introduced me to her mother, who was equally delightful. Talk about a down-to-earth human being. Love that Allison.
 
This is terrible news. When I was a kid just learning to play, I always enjoyed watching her play on ESPN. Allison's snooker mechanics with a very low head always appealed to me as someone who learned to play snooker before pool. Of all the professional athletes, she has probably been most influential for me. I wish her the best.
 
OverTheNut said:
Best wishes to Allison Fisher. Raised the female game to a different level.

Diagnosed with Parkinson's. Horrible thing for anyone to get.

EDIT: This was her statement on her Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/AFathlete )

I have some deeply personal news that I’m now ready to share.
Last year, I was diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.
I chose to keep my diagnosis private for a while because I needed time to process what it meant for me, my life and, of course, my career.
Cue sports have been such an enormous part of my life. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to play the game I love at the highest level for so many years, travel the world, compete against amazing players and make friendships that will last a lifetime.
As Parkinson’s has begun to affect the precision I need to compete at the highest level, I have made the very difficult decision to retire from professional competition.
This may be the end of one chapter, but it is certainly not the end of my journey in cue sports.
I still love this game as much as I ever have, and I plan to remain very much a part of it — through teaching, commentary, Legends of the Cue, appearances and other projects that I look forward to sharing with you.
You can read more about my diagnosis and my decision in the latest issue of Billiards Digest and hear more from me on Legends of the Cue.
Most importantly, I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career. The messages, friendships, memories and encouragement have meant more to me than you may ever know.
There is still much more ahead.
❤️

Allison
Click to expand...
Terrible news. She is in my prayers. One of the classiest acts in the game.
🙁🙏
 
sjm said:
My heart is breaking.

Allison is a legendary player in both snooker and pool and has been a great role model in our sport. To pool, she brought a confidence and aura not seen since the retirement of Jean Balukas.

She was a trailblazer for other female snooker crossovers like Kelly Fisher and Karen Corr. Nobody who was there will ever forget when Allison introduced close friend Kelly Fisher on the night of her BCA Hall of Fame induction. Allison brought the house down when she suggested that Kelly had enjoyed unprecedented success in women's pool and then added "well, almost."

On a more personal level, Allison is my close friend of over twenty-five years. I have spent a lot of time with her, both socially and at the pool table. She is witty, personable, and brutally honest, a straight shooter of the highest order. She is also very determined and will find a way to navigate the unimaginably bumpy road that lies ahead.

Why must bad things happen to good people - especially to this good person? Good luck, Allison, in meeting the challenges that lie ahead.
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Stu please check your private messages.
 
One of my pool friends just told me about this. I felt this one. I have met her a few times, and took a class with her. I have photos with her, signed balls, and a signed cue. She will always give you time. What can i say, other than that Allison is a legend. I hope she does not beat herself up by thinking she is disappointing her fans by not being able to perform any longer, as she said she is feeling in the legends of the cue video. I can't think of anyone who has done more for pool than Allison.

I have a neighbor that has parkinsons. It got pretty bad and we saw the decline (shaking, struggle walking etc). He was on the medications, but He ended up leaving the country (we live in usa) to get a medical procedure done. He got some implant/stimulator in his head, and it changed his life. He is driving around and walking better. He was already very elderly, but it helped him a lot. Hopefully Allisons doctors know about this/ all options if or when the need comes.
 
OverTheNut said:
Best wishes to Allison Fisher. Raised the female game to a different level.

Diagnosed with Parkinson's. Horrible thing for anyone to get.

EDIT: This was her statement on her Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/AFathlete )

I have some deeply personal news that I’m now ready to share.
Last year, I was diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.
I chose to keep my diagnosis private for a while because I needed time to process what it meant for me, my life and, of course, my career.
Cue sports have been such an enormous part of my life. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to play the game I love at the highest level for so many years, travel the world, compete against amazing players and make friendships that will last a lifetime.
As Parkinson’s has begun to affect the precision I need to compete at the highest level, I have made the very difficult decision to retire from professional competition.
This may be the end of one chapter, but it is certainly not the end of my journey in cue sports.
I still love this game as much as I ever have, and I plan to remain very much a part of it — through teaching, commentary, Legends of the Cue, appearances and other projects that I look forward to sharing with you.
You can read more about my diagnosis and my decision in the latest issue of Billiards Digest and hear more from me on Legends of the Cue.
Most importantly, I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career. The messages, friendships, memories and encouragement have meant more to me than you may ever know.
There is still much more ahead.
❤️

Allison
Click to expand...
Great player, she was a machine at the height of her career, loved watching her play on TV.
 
Sad to hear this news. Hopefully her symptoms don't get too severe for a long time.

I just saw this video about Alan Alda's experiences with Parkinson's- he's had it for around 10 years now:

 
skiergd011013 said:
One of my pool friends just told me about this. I felt this one. I have met her a few times, and took a class with her. I have photos with her, signed balls, and a signed cue. She will always give you time. What can i say, other than that Allison is a legend. I hope she does not beat herself up by thinking she is disappointing her fans by not being able to perform any longer, as she said she is feeling in the legends of the cue video. I can't think of anyone who has done more for pool than Allison.

I have a neighbor that has parkinsons. It got pretty bad and we saw the decline (shaking, struggle walking etc). He was on the medications, but He ended up leaving the country (we live in usa) to get a medical procedure done. He got some implant/stimulator in his head, and it changed his life. He is driving around and walking better. He was already very elderly, but it helped him a lot. Hopefully Allisons doctors know about this/ all options if or when the need comes.
Click to expand...
Its not just the shaking that people relate with PD but so many other things like the ability to swallow and PD can affect your sleep as well as your mental well being. My old boss was getting real bad hallucinations, he would see things in the room that were not there, it was really taking a toll on him mentally.
 
My grand mother had Parkinson at the time they did not understand it and tortured her with treatment, things are much better now for those afflicted, you have the strength to win this.
Years ago there was an old guy that played in a weekly tournament, he had Parkinson, the shaking was obvious and gave you the impression he could not make a shot, yet he would run the table, talent never fads
 
Willymakaball said:
My grand mother had Parkinson at the time they did not understand it and tortured her with treatment, things are much better now for those afflicted, you have the strength to win this.
Years ago there was an old guy that played in a weekly tournament, he had Parkinson, the shaking was obvious and gave you the impression he could not make a shot, yet he would run the table, talent never fads
Click to expand...
 
Dan White said:
The only thing that has been shown in multiple studies to slow or even stop progression of PD is the right kind of intense exercise. Sadly, doctors only prescribe pills and take notes to document the decline. Vitamin B1 therapy has shown remarkable results in some people but there's no money in it so a rigorous trial doesn't get done.
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this is a good article about the benefits of exercise for Parkinson's

More physical activity may mean slower Parkinson’s disease progression

A new study suggests exercise could help people with the neurodegenerative disease maintain both movement and thinking skills.

October 8, 2026

By Jennifer Fields

When it comes to exercise, there’s an age-old debate over which matters more: how hard you work out, or how long you do it. For people with Parkinson’s disease, new research suggests there’s an answer.

According to the study, published in Neurology, people who got more physical activity experienced slower declines in movement and thinking skills over time, suggesting that staying active may be associated with slower disease progression. Notably, it was the amount of time participants spent being physically active — and their consistency — that mattered more than how intensely they exercised, said lead study author Dong-Woo Ryu of the University of Cincinnati.

That could be especially encouraging news for people who haven’t historically been big exercisers, said Jori Fleisher, an associate professor of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center, co-director of the Rush Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence and fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, who was not involved with the study. The research suggests “it all counts — not just vigorous, you know, heavy-duty biking, heavy-duty running, but even moderate intensity had an impact,” she said.

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that worsens over time. It’s the second most common neurodegenerative disease behind Alzheimer’s. The hallmark signs include shaking or tremors, stiffness, slower movements and difficulty with balance or walking. But it doesn’t only impact movement: Parkinson’s can also affect thinking and memory, mood, motivation, speech, sleep and digestion.

Treatments — including medication, physical therapy and surgery — can help manage many of these symptoms, but none has been shown to change the underlying course of the disease. That’s one reason researchers have been looking more closely at lifestyle-related factors, such as exercise, to see if behavioral changes could potentially alter how Parkinson’s progresses.
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