4-24-10: It's with sadness that I just learned that one of exergaming's pioneers, the original "exergaming evangelist", passed away last night. Phil Lawler, the creator of PE4Life, finally lost his battle to cancer.
When I first got into this field, back in 1998, Phil was the first exergaming expert to contact me and offer his help and support in anything that I was doing. Over the last decade, Phil would call (he rarely e-mailed) to see how I was doing, tell me about the latest thing he was working on, or give me the scoop on some "inside" info that was happening in the exergaming world. He always had things that escaped my ever-expanding radar!
He was most excited about his latest endeavor, Spark, and the work of Dr. Ratey and the effect of exercise on the brain, kid's academics, etc.
As the field of exergaming continues to grow, mature, and gain credibility, it is sad that Phil won't be around to see the fruits of his labor come to fruition. He fought the good fight, and now is at rest, free from pain and suffering, and for that, we are thankful.
My only regret is that Phil and I never got to meet in person. We kept joking that one day, we would end up at the same conference, or that I would visit his place whenever I was in Chicago, but alas, that day never came. I guess I'll meet him in the next life, for sure! We'll set up an exergaming zone in heaven!
May we all be inspired by his tireless work for the kids, and strive to continue his legacy in whatever work that we do.
