The Ribbon of Road Ahead

The first stop on this grand tour was Lewiston

Idaho where I was welcomed by Coach Jennifer Ford and her Lewis and Clark Valley Rock Steady Boxers. This was my first time in a live training session and wow was I surprised at the level of difficulty the workout presented. The strength and endurance these fighters demonstrated showed their commitment to living well with Parkinson’s. I had visited with the support group affiliated with the fighters via zoom in June and vowed to visit in person. I introduced myself as a person with Parkinson’s an author and an ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation, as if those credentials meant any thing in their gym. In my heart this group claims top honors in skipping, jump rope, spinning, weights. and boxing. When the workout was done I was breathless and speechless.. We managed a group picture with Dooley and that was it for me. Coach Jennifer is a tough one for sure. But when she said goodbye there was a softness in her eyes that expressed the love she has for this group. Then she was back to her job. I will not forget the lessons learned from these strong fighters. They have motivated me to work harder in my personal fight against the disease.