Co-Authors Robert Skead and "Mighty Mike" Simmel

WOW!  Having a book published was always up on my bucket list of career goals.  So I have to admit, seeing the book in my hands for the first time gave me the chills.   Everything leading up to it hit me like a tornado…now I hope there is enough interest in it.  With my Wizards season starting in a few days as we just ended training camp (yep 10 years of show basketball under my belt) and a few appearances here and there and my 34th birthday also coming around the bend (shh don’t tell anyone bout that) I still feel I have more to accomplish and am truly excited.  Still pushing the rock up that hill.

But you guys are probably interested about the book…

I was really pleased with how my co-author Rob Skead (who by the way is an awesome writer and friend) and I were able to piece this story together and make it both educational and fun for kids.  I was most pleased to put a coping section at the end of the book, a note from yours truly, a listing of the types of seizures and also a special note on what to do if someone has a generalized seizure.  It is different than any other epilepsy book out on the market.  But it is not just for kids with epilepsy, the story is for anyone who is need of motivation or deals with any types of adversity in their life.

I am not going to tell you the story and the discrepancies that were between my life and Mike in the story but I can tell you that if you read the book you will know most of what I felt as a young man and the problems I went through as a teenager seen through this particular persons eyes.  It is very true to form of both what that Mike went through, and this Mike has been dealt.  The themes of family, coping, anti-bullying and courage are what this story is all-about.  I like to describe this book as “my story mixed with a little bit of fun”.

Hopefully when I appear on my first of many talk shows on the circuit to discuss this book and epilepsy awareness, a topic which I truly feel needs to be brought to the forefront (as millions of people suffer from it in the US), I can be given the opportunity to talk more and help provide hope, which is my #1 objective.  If you know any young person in your life that is dealing with any issue get them Mighty Mike Bounces Back as it will make them feel stronger and ever more MIGHTY in their days to come.

So excuse the shameless plug…but can you please go out and buy a copy!!!!

Also watch this video about the book

Each day the children were enlighten by a special speaker who included the likes of Rafael Addison (former NBA Veteran and NJ Net), Tojo Henderson (my teammate with the Harlem Wizards), HealthBarn USA, Pat Gesauldo (Drums Against Disabilities), and Scott Chesney (world renowned motivational speaker).  The children were all taught the specifics of life skills and the game of basketball.  Our staff was great as they were made up of some awesome teachers, student-athletes, and volunteers.  Special thanks goes to Glaxo Smith Kline for providing volunteers for Week One.

There were several highlights throughout the weeks in Chatham, Wyckoff and Bloomfield. Some of my favorite moments included working with Will O. again for his sixth straight summer at all three camp sessions.  A young man with epilepsy, he battles seizures everyday, and is a true champion and fighter.  Will is a model to what the program is all about.  We had a special highlight when a new camper to our program, Nina, in week three made her first shot ever.  Then she came back the next day to make more in front of the tearful eyes of her mom.  She knew all along she COULD and no limit could ever hold her back.  As I gave her an award during our closing ceremony I was so excited for her and can’t wait to have her back again.

All these kids are champs and work extremely hard doing some drills that push themselves well beyond their capabilities.  That is what this program is all about.  Never quitting and pushing your body to its maximum potential.  I am so proud of everyone of these children that I have worked with in the six years of my programs existence.Click to view slideshow.

At Cupcakes with Buddy: Supporting Epilepsy Awareness, organized by the Anita Kaufmann Foundation, guests sampled thirteen bakeries’ worth of mini, purple cupcakes and bid on silent auction prizes on Sunday afternoon. All proceeds went toward educational programs, materials, and seizure first aid trainings.

While the purple-clad crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of Hoboken’s biggest celebrities, Cake Boss’ Buddy Valastro and family, they were able to peruse the offerings of some of the tri-state area’s finest cupcake bakeries, gathered in Hoboken’s  W Hotel.

The selections were sinfully divine, with such flavors as Gigi’s Cupcakes’ signature Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting, or Tonnie’s Minis’ Strawberry Twist flavor, a swirl of strawberry and sponge with strawberry and butter cream icing. But Marla Acosta, head decorator at Tonnie’s Minis, would contend that since it’s for a good cause, guests can feel happy about eating these otherwise guilt-inducing cupcakes.

Amidst the colorful array of iced treats, the Anita Kaufmann Foundation had stationed a booth where guests could make donations, pick up reading material, and meet with “Mighty Mike” Simmel, professional entertainment basketball player of the Harlem Wizards and Founder of the Mighty Mike Basketball Camps and School Programs.

Simmel, who suffers from epilepsy, incorporates his message of creating awareness with his basketball act while visiting 6th graders in schools around New Jersey. He hopes that events like Sunday’s will foster more attention for the cause and lead to advancements in medicine.

“I think this is important because there’s a stigma surrounding epilepsy, and I think that events like this help bring epilepsy more out in the fore front and help erase that stigma,” he said.

With raising awareness at the core of the Anita Kaufmann Foundation’s mission, the organization works to dispel the myths associated with epilepsy and to educate the public about the condition. Featuring the “Cake Boss” family as Sunday’s headliner was a boon for event organizers.