# Journey to 30 ballparks in 28 days meant to raise awareness



## funkypresident (Sep 17, 2005)

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/243733

Brothers aim to set road record
TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR

Brigham, right, and Todd Shearon, at Rogers Centre on Monday, Aug. 6, 2007, show off a ball signed by Vernon Wells, with a message to Brigham: "Don't be scared."










Brigham and Todd's excellent adventure

Brothers Brigham and Todd Shearon of Windsor, Ont., begin a cross-continent baseball odyssey tonight at the Rogers Centre: 30 games in 28 days. The grueling details:
Tues. Aug. 7 - New York Yankees at Toronto
Wed. Aug. 8 - Tampa Bay at Detroit.
Thurs. Aug. 9 - Atlanta at New York Mets (12:10 p.m.); Florida at Philadelphia (7:35 p.m.)
Fri. Aug. 10 - New York Yankees at Cleveland
Sat. Aug. 11 - Washington at Arizona
Sun. Aug. 12 - Pittsburgh at San Francisco
Mon. Aug. 13 - Minnesota at Seattle
Aug. 14 - Chicago White Sox at Oakland
Aug. 15 - Houston at L.A. Dodgers
Aug 16 - Arizona at Florida
Aug. 17 - Cleveland at Tampa Bay
Aug. 18 - Arizona at Atlanta
Aug. 19 - NY Mets at Washington
Aug. 20 - St. Louis at Chicago Cubs (1:20 p.m.); Kansas City at Chicago White Sox (8:11 p.m)
Aug 21 - Atlanta at Cincinnati
Aug. 22 - Florida at St. Louis
Aug. 23 - Seattle at Texax
Aug. 24 - Cleveland at Kansas City
Aug. 25 - Washington at Colorado
Aug. 26 - Toronto at Los Angeles
Aug. 27 - Arizona at San Diego
Aug. 28 - St. Louis at Houston
Aug. 29 - Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Aug. 30 - Tampa Bay at Baltimore
Aug. 31 - Baltimore at Boston
Sept. 1 - Pittsburgh at Milwaukee
Sept. 2 - Kansas City at Minnesota
Sept. 3 - Seattle at New York Yankees
DRIVING DISTANCE: 10,430 km
FREQUENT FLYER MILES per person: 12,620

Journey to 30 ballparks in 28 days meant to raise awareness of social anxiety, panic disorders

It sounds impossible - 30 baseball games in as many major-league stadiums, and in just four weeks.

But Windsor brothers Brigham and Todd Shearon are embarking on much more than a baseball fan's dream road trip, beginning tonight at the Rogers Centre. For 29-year-old Brigham Shearon, it's a journey into his own fears.

Brigham, four years younger than travelling partner Todd, has severe social anxiety and panic disorders that sometimes leave him gasping for air, sweating and vomiting.

It makes a trip to the corner store an adventure for the Windsor native because he's afraid something will happen to him. Sometimes, he can't leave his house.

He's lost jobs and tested the patience of friends and his girlfriend, Tara. He's afraid of being embarrassed too. He's had panic attacks inside movie theatres but been afraid to leave for fear he'd trip over a step.

Essentially, he says he fears fear.

"You know that quote, `There's nothing to fear but fear itself,'" he said. "Fear, for me it's like a snowball rolling down a hill, collecting."

Now Shearon, who for nine months went through the anxiety and mood disorder treatment program at Windsor Regional Hospital, is ready to take the field against his disorder to either beat it or learn to cope with it.

He also aims to raise awareness about his disorder with the record-setting trip - 30 parks in 29 days is the current Guinness world record for the "fastest trip to visit all major league stadiums."

Just over 2 million Canadians 15 or older have had a social anxiety disorder at some point while just under 1 million people aged 15 or older have suffered from recurrent, unexpected panic attacks at some point, Statistics Canada reported in 2004.

Shearon hopes he'll be able to inspire others with the disorder the way Kansas City pitcher Zack Greinke's story has inspired him.

Shearon, a long-time Detroit Tigers fan, was watching Greinke pitch against the Tigers when the announcer told the story of how Greinke had missed most of the 2006 season because of a social anxiety disorder.

"If he has this illness, I don't know how he does what he does," Shearon said.

Vernon Wells will meet with the brothers before tonight's Blue Jays-Yankees game, and then they'll fly and drive their way around the U.S. If all goes according to plan, they'll complete the trip Sept. 3 at Yankee Stadium.

*Their friend Cale Best is documenting the journey on film and the brothers will update a journal at recordofarecord.com.*

They'll collect players' signatures on baseball memorabilia to auction for the Windsor hospital's mood disorder program.

The brothers know the trip won't be easy. Although they've arranged for free game tickets, flights alone will total upwards of $5,000 dollars, says Todd Shearon.

They've held a fundraiser and taken donations from their grandmother and others and will cut costs by staying with friends at some stops.

And of course Brigham will be carrying anxieties far greater than the where's and the when's of travel

He'll be flying on a plane for the first time - "I can't wait," he said with a laugh - and expects he'll be panicking before every game. That's how he wants it.

"When I get to these parks, I'm going to be shaking," he said. "But my new thing is I'm throwing myself in the fire.

"Even if I do have an attack and people see me, that's part of my raising awareness now too."


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## aka dru (Oct 30, 2004)

*re: Journey to 30 ballparks in 28 days meant to raise awaren*

:haha :cup :wels


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

Wow, that's pretty neat.


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## lyssado707 (Oct 29, 2004)

Yay!!!!!!!!    I'm so grateful for people like them.


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## zarathustra55 (Mar 3, 2007)

*re: Journey to 30 ballparks in 28 days meant to raise awaren*

Wow. I'd like to visit every MLB park in a season sometime in my life, but I couldn't imagine doing it in 28 days.


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

Has it started already? If so, I wonder how it's going...


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## funkypresident (Sep 17, 2005)

*re: Journey to 30 ballparks in 28 days meant to raise awaren*



> He'll be flying on a plane for the first time - "I can't wait," he said with a laugh - and expects he'll be panicking before every game. That's how he wants it.
> 
> "When I get to these parks, I'm going to be shaking," he said. "But my new thing is I'm throwing myself in the fire.
> 
> "Even if I do have an attack and people see me, that's part of my raising awareness now too."


Seems like he's addicted to _owning_ himself. Sounds good to me, since I have the same philosophy! :yes :yay Godles panic attacks.. :boogie


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

Throwing yourself in the fire takes monster balls. Congrats to him.


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## Gerard (Feb 3, 2004)

Yeah, pretty neat.


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