PingPongParkinson® Australia President, Treasurer
PingPongParkinson® International Vice-President
Assistant to Nenad Bach
Helen started the first chapter in Australia in Hervey Bay, Queensland, on 2 September 2024. She assisted PPP founder Nenad Bach with his talk “Ping Pong vs Parkinson: Uncommon Solution” at TEDxZagreb, Croatia, in November 2024 and volunteered at the birthplace of PingPongParkinson, Westchester Table Tennis Centre in Pleasantville, New York, on many occasions during visits from December 2024 to May 2026.
Helen has been a human rights advocate and consultant working to assist people with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions and their carers via sensory, cognitive and movement strategies for the past 15 years. She is a qualified personal trainer and yoga teacher and is studying a Masters in Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rijeka.
Nenad is a composer, producer, singer-songwriter, peace activist, civil engineer and table tennis champion. Nenad has recorded for Sony, Universal, Decca, Polygram and many other labels and performed all over the world, including Woodstock in 1994 and Modena, Italy, in 1995 with Luciano Pavarotti, Bono & The Edge (U2). Nenad is the creator of the Croatian World Network, www.croatia.org, an information source for Croatians and friends of Croatia. In 2006 Globus Magazine listed Nenad Bach as one of the 100 most influential Croatians in the world. In 2010, Nenad was diagnosed with Parkinson and in 2017, he founded PingPongParkinson® at Westchester Table Tennis Centre, Pleasantville, New York. Through singing, songwriting and PingPongParkinson®, Nenad spreads hope, joy, compassion and universal peace. Nenad is a mentor to the Australian PingPongParkinson® movement.
Vice President, PingPongParkinson Australia
Andy has been a passionate table tennis player for over 40 years. His love for the sport grew alongside his awareness of family members who lived with Parkinson, which also fueled Andy’s personal and professional interest in evidence-based therapies and lifestyle interventions for optimal health, especially strategic applications of light. Music is another of Andy’s passions, and spending time with Nenad Bach during his trip to Melbourne in 2025 was a true highlight. For Andy, light, rhythm and movement can be a life-changing combination in the context of health, technology and the game of table tennis.
Robert Fox is a committee member of PingPongParkinson Australia and a volunteer chapter coordinator with at Dee Why PCYC in Sydney, Australia. He joined the PPP community after meeting Nenad Bach in May 2025 and has been enthusiastically involved ever since.
Now 68, Robert has been married to his wife Jenny for 40 years. He is the proud father of two daughters and became a grandfather to Monty in September 2025. Robert and Jenny live in Narrabeen, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Before retiring in 2020, Robert worked for 30 years as a paramedic. Outside of PPP, his passions include surfing and long-distance adventures—whether multi-day or multi-week walking and cycling trips. He has also had a lifelong love of table tennis and looks forward to being involved with PPP for many years to come.
Dr Lakshmi Iyer, Committee member at PingPongParkinson Australia, came across the organisation by chance, having been introduced to it through a friend in the USA. She says: PPP is of great personal significance to me as I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when I was 53 years old, and once I had passed the initial denial stage, I had vowed to make exercise my focus due to the many research findings that have proven beyond doubt its positive benefits.
In my younger days, I was not very sporty, but more recently I have been participating in several different types of physical activity, such as Badminton, Pickleball, Ping Pong, yoga, hydrotherapy, going for walks, and practicing mindfulness to be happy, content, and less stressed. I would like to use the PPP platform to engage with others in the same condition and offer support, motivate them, and befriend them to avoid isolation, depression and anxiety, all of which are more common for people living with PD.
At a professional level, I retired as a Food Technologist cum Biochemist, with expertise in the processing of cereals and legumes to produce wholesome foods – high in nutritive value and gut health enriching. I specialise in providing technical solutions to R&D teams for minimally processed grain-based foods without compromising nutrition.
Secretary, PingPongParkinson Australia
Stephen Indersmith lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. He recently retired after founding and managing a community publishing business for 25 years.
With retirement comes new challenges and goals. Steven’s motivation to get involved in PingPongParkinson™ comes from his father, who passed away with physical and cognitive disabilities.
Steven is happily married with 3 adult sons. He and his family enjoy travelling the world, experiencing other cultures and adventures. He and his wife recently volunteered to teach English in Northern Africa.
As Secretary of PingPongParkinson™, he hopes that, in this chapter of his life, he can make a positive difference for those affected by Parkinson’s.
Community Engagement Coordinator
Peter joined PingPongParkinson Australia to help bridge the gap between physical therapy and community fun. After receiving his Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis, Peter wanted to channel his extensive background in community leadership into helping others stay active and connected.
With years of experience coaching junior AFL and basketball, as well as a decade-long tenure on the Mountain Gate Primary School Council, Peter is dedicated to fostering a supportive, welcoming environment for all participants. Whether you are picking up a paddle for the first time or are a seasoned regular, Peter is always ready to welcome you to the table. Away from the community hubs, Peter’s biggest passion is his family.
Quy has played table tennis for over 40 years and continues to compete in veterans competitions worldwide. Quy is a Table Tennis Australia accredited coach of juniors, university students, and top-level athletes. Adults from all walks of life have benefited from his expertise and generosity. He was Table Tennis ACT board member for many years and the founder and president of Table Tennis Canberra North Club. He believes in the power of sport and music to transform health and wellbeing and he is passionate about helping his community. Quy leads the first PingPongParkinson chapter in the A.C.T., established 19th August 2026.