An interview with Bruce Norquist: Like Icarus – Trying to Fly High when hamstrung by Life
Introduction
Hello, my name is Bruce Norquist, from Urbandale, Iowa. I served 24 years in the National Guard, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel and Counterterrorism Team Chief. My career included policy and coalition building at the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Northern Command, where I worked on multinational disaster response and Total Force Integration. Afterward, I spent 40+ years in technology, most recently as a Cybersecurity Architect for a global financial company, until Parkinson’s disease led me to retire.
Connection to Parkinson’s
I was diagnosed in 2020 at age 57, just before COVID. At first, doctors feared I had Progressive Supranuclear Palsy—a much more aggressive disease—but later confirmed it was Parkinson’s. Looking back, I had likely been living with symptoms for years. The diagnosis was both sobering and oddly a relief.
Since then, Parkinson’s has profoundly impacted my life. I went from briefing governors, CEOs, and generals to sometimes struggling with one-on-one conversations. My driving is limited, my marriage has been tested, and my professional identity has changed. Still, I train daily—high-intensity exercise, as if preparing for a marathon—because it is the only proven way to slow progression.
History: I grew up in Aberdeen, SD and spent summers doing competitive swimming and summer farm work in SD and Minnesota. I went to Northern State University in Aberdeen, where I got commissioned by ROTC. I joined the SD Army National Guard, and then got married and moved to Washington DC. I stayed there for 13 years and then moved to Denver Colorado for 24 years eventually ending up in Des Moines (DM), Iowa in 2022.
Can you tell me more about your Advocacy?
I feel like I am Combatting PD like the soldier I trained for 24 years. I helped start up a PD Support Group at Life Time Fitness in DM. This is starting to spread to other Life Times. Life Time corporate in slowly buying into the concept and is letting DM Life Time lead the way.
I have spoken to Des Moines University (DMU)’s Occupational Therapy Masters program about My Life as a Parkie. And have interest by other DMU classes and other university programs that want a PD speaker.
On Feb 10, I spoke to the Iowa Legislature House committee on Health and Human Services with a spokesman from MJFF about PD and what can be done under the Rural Healthcare with a request for $3M for PD R&D, which includes a PD Registry.
What is your passion and how did you get involved in Parkinson’s awareness and hope for a cure?
I recently retired in November 2024 and was worried I didn’t have any hobbies, other than fishing trips with my buds. I am not shy, so I freely shared my PD story with people I came in contact with and it slowly took off. Snice I have a background in politics I feel comfortable and how the processes they use work, I jumped into that world too.
What type of goals do individuals with Parkinson’s have when seeing your Advocacy?
I try to convey that there are others that are living with PD, so just ask.
What effect can your Advocacy have on an individual with Parkinson’s?
Hopefully calm them down. There is life after a diagnosis.
What would you like to see as a future goal for your Advocacy?
I want to make a difference. I feel I have been given this opportunity, where I still have most of my faculties, I can still talk (usually making sense), and don’t come of to scary, so I want to use this time to impact PD positively. I have new found interests in Clean Water, and chemicals in the environment, politics, and preaching about higher intensity exercises.
I am engaging the Iowa Legislature, the upcoming candidates for Governor, reaching out to the local grocery store chain Hy-Vee and PD charities to join in what may be called PD Movement Alliance.
I may start up a nonprofit and call it CereMotion.
CereMotion is a coined fusion of:
- “Cere-” — from cerebrum, Latin for “brain,” referring to higher brain function, movement control, and cognition.
- “Motion” — movement, flow, or physical activity.
So together, CereMotion literally means:
- “Brain-driven movement” or “Intelligent motion.”
- It evokes the integration of brain and body, which perfectly fits your concept of AI-enhanced neuro-fitness — where movement, cognition, and adaptive intelligence work together.
I am thinking about several other initiatives, usually faster than I can complete them. My brain is still working on overdrive.
One thing I believe is greatly needed is a website, or podcast, or something that answers the question the newly diagnosed Parkie has when they leave the Movement Disorder specialist’s office.
After a 20-minute appointment, maybe 30 minutes if you are lucky. You are just handed what sounds like a devastated diagnosis, seemingly like a death sentence and you are in shock. You are full of questions, what to do, what not to do, just questions galore. My trainer at Lifetime gets 2 new parkies a week who might be lucky if their MDS tells them to start or continue exercising. A lot. The Lifetime trainer gives out my contact information if these new PD Club members feel the need to talk to someone.
This Newly Diagnosed Welcome Aboard information (packet, website, intervention, chat, talk, discussion, meeting) is needed.
What events do you participate in?
Daily Exercise, Exercise classes, Rock Steady Boxing, Iowa APDA annual conference and other meetings.
How can someone get in touch? What is your website?
Email: Bruce.Norquist@gmail.com
Website: cyberscramasax.substack.com
https://www.facebook.com/bnorquist
www.linkedin.com/in/brucenorquist
X @bruce_norquist
How can others also become advocates for awareness?
Talk to everyone you can. Don’t be shy.
In your opinion, what is the key to effective advocacy?
Discussion and sharing available in a support group.
How can we better fundraise to support a cure for Parkinson’s?
More awareness of PD, more sensational marketing, and tie it to how widespread it is. A heatmap of the PD hotspots in Iowa, on a map would be nice. Or a website where you enter in your zipcode and it returns the environmental risk to PD exists.
What other activities do you undertake to help improve and support your daily living Eg exercise and alternative remedies?
Daily Exercise, boxing, walking, trying to learn to play the piano.
Why should people who don’t have Parkinson’s care about this?
Just you wait. Daily your risk of developing PD from the environment increases infinitesimally. You too can join the PD club.
Have you had any family members or relatives affected by Parkinson’s disease?
No.
If you had one song that would tell us more about you or represent your life, which song would it be?
Hair of the Dog by Nazareth.
If you had one final statement or quote you could leave for the Parkinson’s community, what would it be?
Live
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TogetherForSharon® In memory of my mother, Sharon to voice awareness & hope for a Parkinson’s Disease cure. Sharon’s Son, George
Support https://www.togetherforsharon.com/shop/
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