Written by Amy Hanna

At a gym in the outskirts of Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, 70-year-old boxer George Linden pulls on his gloves, shuffles through stations, and bobs his head to the beat of “Eye of the Tiger” as it blasts through the speakers. 

Each punch, kick and jab is a way for Linden to fight back against the toughest opponent – Parkinson’s Disease. 

In 2015, Linden’s family began noticing potential symptoms of the disease. It was not until two years later that Linden finally visited the general practitioner, and after being referred to a neurologist, received his diagnosis.

Today, physical activity is a big part of how Linden manages life with Parkinson’s. His desire for movement led him to Rock Steady Boxing, a program designed specifically for those battling the disease. 

About six years ago, Certified Occupational Therapist Kristen Schillaci brought Rock Steady Boxing from an outgrown space at the Hixson, Tennessee, YMCA to her personal gym, Our House Studios. 

Affecting movement, coordination and mental state, Parkinson’s Disease is associated with a depletion of dopamine in the brain that makes it difficult to control smooth body movements. Motor and non-motor symptoms worsen over time, and Parkinson’s is currently lacking a cure.

“The only thing proven to slow the process is intensity,” said Schillaci. “That’s what’s making the difference, it’s pushing people past the perceived limits of what they can do.”

Rock Steady Boxing grants Schillaci a sense of purpose and passion, while Linden has found his own motivation through boxing and exercise over the past six years.  

Linden began his journey by taking Carbidopa-levodopa, the standard treatment of Parkinson’s since the mid-60s. As the disease progressed and the medicine intake increased, Linden and his family proceeded to Vanderbilt to visit their neurology clinic. 

Dr. Thomas Davis was not taking new patients at the time Linden was seeking a different way to manage the disease. But, through a 12-hour stay at the hospital with his daughter-in-law, Linden was presented with an opportunity.

“By grace, by faith we got to see Dr. Davis,” said Linden. 

Knowing that Linden had Parkinson’s, a doctor involved with his daughter-in-law’s brain tumor surgery helped him get an appointment despite Dr. Davis’s packed schedule. 

Dr. Davis, understanding Linden’s lack of non-motor skills, was able to help Linden make the switch from oral medicine to a pump. It administers his medicine in a way that provides continuous therapy and keeps him stable for longer. 

“I’m active, I do still have downtime, but instead of three hours until the medicine catches up, I take an extra dose, I lay down for 20 minutes, and it all smooths out,” said Linden. 

While Parkinson’s Disease steadily worsens over time, Linden and other boxers do not let it set them back. Instead, the fighters use their diagnosis as motivation to work even harder to maintain their health.

“My goal is to go home, feeling like I did something beneficial for my body and my mental state,” said Linden. 

Rock Steady Boxing provides differing workouts each class, and boxers will never face the same workout twice in a row. By memorizing hitting combinations, having one-on-one time in the ring with a coach and practicing everyday workouts like burpees and planks, Parkinson’s fighters learn to grow in coordination, posture and strength, while also obtaining a resilient mindset. 

All boxers begin with a physician’s release form and must pay a one-time fee for an assessment from Schillaci or another coach at Rock Steady. After that, the boxing classes sit at a flexible $75 a month. 

“Some people pay more than that, some people pay less,” said Schillaci. “Money is never a reason not to be here.”

Rock Steady is intentional, beginning class with warm-ups, getting to know other boxers and even having themed classes for current events or holidays. Following warm-ups, the boxers get right into a workout. 

“Some of that workout is going to look like an actual group fitness class where everybody is doing the same thing at the same time, or it’s going to be a circuit,” said Schillaci. 

The boxing, however, is always on a timer featuring a mix of upper and lower body. Boxers also learn fall prevention and the safest ways to land, react and roll. 

“Becoming mentally stronger comes because of the way the exercises are given, especially the boxing portion,” said Linden. “It is one of the best things I’ve done in the sense of treating my Parkinson’s.”

Schillaci sends reports to doctors after boxers have been regularly coming to classes at Rock Steady, hoping that all boxers improve in one area or another.

Expecting to experience healthy weight loss and increased energy levels, boxers leave with greater payouts than they could have ever hoped for. 

“What has my Parkinson’s walk done for me?” Linden asked. “It has deepened my faith, it’s shown me how much my family will rally around me, or another person in our family, and I think the other thing it has made me recognize: there are good days, and there are hard days, but even the hard days are good.”

Linden recognizes that his journey would not have been the same without Rock Steady, yet he also understands the importance of physical health for those fighting this battle. 

“Find something: Join the Y, go swim, go exercise, go walk, because it’s the only way you’re going to keep this from progressing very rapidly,” said Linden. “It’s a disease that is tough, but you can beat it.”

Parkinson’s may shake the rhythm, but having the eye of the tiger is not about moving steadily; it is about the willingness to keep moving no matter what.  

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Moving Through the Mind

Written by Amy Hanna

Dripping sweat and coming off an intensive workout high, Parkinson’s boxers move from the ring to the open floor as tranquil instrumental music flows from a large speaker. Tai Chi Instructor Chris Ellis guides them through the shift from power to peace, encouraging slow breathing rather than steady punching. 

After years of working as a night shift mechanic, Ellis faced persistent sickness and back pain. Looking for ways to improve his health, Ellis discovered Tai Chi and Qigong, as well as took up an anti-inflammatory diet. 

“I haven’t had to go back to the doctor in 15 years for a sinus infection or for my back,” said Ellis.

He began practicing Tai Chi at Our House Studios in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, home of Rock Steady Boxing. As he became a regular at the gym, he was eventually asked to teach Tai Chi to other patrons as a paid instructor. 

At the time, Ellis was not seeking compensation or looking to become a teacher, so he offered to lead the class for free, initially focused solely on movement rather than the community that would grow around it.

After ample time spent in the studio with participants ranging from their 50s to their 80s, Ellis experienced a new type of fellowship and connection with attendees.

“I needed it as much as they did,” Ellis said. “I get the coolest generation that ever lived.”

At the start of his teaching, Ellis had little-to-no Parkinson’s boxers joining his class. He is now up to five or six people consistently, with new boxers trying it out each week. 

“Once the Parkinson’s patients started coming in the class, they helped me more than I helped them,” said Ellis. “There’s something to be said about community.”

Parkinson’s boxers in Tai Chi are able to work on things that do not come easy, like balance, stance work and shifting weight.

“You’re not going to like it, and you’re not going to understand it,” said Ellis. “I have to teach you how to walk, I have to teach you how to breathe, I have to teach you how to stand; Basically, everything that you learned as a baby I have to do it over again.”

Along with Tai Chi, Ellis incorporates Qigong, a wellness practice that uses deep breathing and controlled movements to cultivate calm mental clarity.

Mindfulness, concentration and enhanced focus can be gained through Qigong, as well as a general sense of well-being and a lifted mood. 

“One of the side effects of Parkinson’s is apathy,” said Ellis. “They may not tell you. The only reason I know is because we sit and talk some days.” 

As a disease that outwardly affects motor skills, the internal and mental effects of Parkinson’s often get overlooked. For the boxers, Ellis is not only their instructor; he is someone they find support and acceptance in. 

“What’s inside of you is what matters,” said Ellis. “For them, medicine doesn’t work, so they’re willing to do anything.”

Ellis consistently shows the boxers that strength can be found in stillness, and nothing has to be done alone. 

Tai Chi is not only a change in workouts or exercises, but a place where the boxers get a moment to breathe, connect with themselves and remember that Parkinson’s does not define how they move through life. 

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