About Keep On Pushin'

Dave McNeill has been involved in the martial arts since 1971. He presently is the head of Goju-Shorei, an Okinawan martial art. In July of 2004 Mr. McNeill was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the neck. He was treated at the Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee . His treatment consisted of 3 months of intensive chemo and radiation. He lost 55 pounds, which was mostly muscle loss. Determined to gain back his strength, he started exercising and, most importantly, doing push-ups. When he first attempted push-ups, December of 2004, Mr. McNeill was unable to do a single push-up, but he persisted.

On the three-day July 4 th weekend, 2005, Dave McNeill issued a challenge to his students and friends to do 2005 push-ups. He, along with his supporters, accomplished the goal by doing 1005 push-ups on Saturday, 735 push-ups on Sunday and 300 on Monday. The feeling of support and accomplishment, individually and collectively, along with the strength gain in training for this event, led Mr. McNeill to creating this organization.

If he, at 64 years of age, could do this, why couldn’t martial arts schools and individuals around the country do the same thing? Why couldn’t this collective effort raise money for those in need? And because of Master McNeill’s involvement in the martial arts, he is challenging the fitness centers and martial arts schools to join him in becoming stronger, and raising the much needed monies so that a cure can finally be found.

One push-up at a time, one dollar at a time, and soon there will be a cure. Why couldn’t you help push up the hopes of a cure for cancer, diabetes, cystic fibrosis or any ravaging disease? Why couldn’t you, why wouldn’t you, accept this challenge, and make a difference to yourself as well as set an example of what a collective effort can accomplish? Why wouldn’t you? Now !