NORFOLK, Va. — A boxing instructor at a Norfolk YMCA is using his own Parkinson's diagnosis to fuel a program that helps others fight back against the disease.
Price Dodson teaches Rock Steady Boxing three days a week at Blocker Family YMCA in downtown Norfolk. The no-contact boxing program is designed specifically for people living with Parkinson's disease.
"Our exercises work on balance, strength, coordination," Dodson said.
Dodson was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2014.
"A neuro-degenerative disease. It's progressive. There's no cure for it now," Dodson said. "About that time, it was becoming more well-known that exercise was imperative. It's the only thing that will slow the progression of the disease."
He first learned about Rock Steady Boxing after watching a segment on CBS Sunday Morning in 2015.
"CBS Sunday Morning did a piece on Rock Steady boxing in New York. That was the first I'd ever heard of it. My wife said, 'you gotta see this,'" Dodson said.
Dodson brought the program to downtown Norfolk as a coach, training others facing the same diagnosis. That was 10 years ago.
Now 72, Dodson said he has experienced some progression of the disease and knew he would eventually need help leading the program.
"I knew sooner or later, I wasn't gonna be able to do this to the way to give a good workout," Dodson said.
That's where David Berry came in. Berry, who also works as a personal trainer and teaches other classes at the Y, stepped up when Dodson needed to take a leave of absence.
"He was gonna be taking a leave of absence and would I be willing to lead the class," Berry said.
Berry said the experience changed him.
"The tenacity they have. The fight they have," Berry said. "I fell in love with it. It is the best thing I've done at the Y."
For nearly a year, the two have worked together to keep the program going and secure its future and Berry is preparing to take it over full-time eventually.
Dodson credits the program — and some luck — with his own slower-than-expected progression.
"I've been very blessed. I know that. I've had a slow progression," Dodson said.
The boxing program uses movement to help retrain the brain and body.
"With Parkinson's you tend to get small. You don't reach as much," Dodson said. "With boxing, you get your arms out all the way. You retrain your brain to remember, like, 'hey, I can reach out here.'"
He says it also helps with footwork and coordination.
Two Hampton Roads YMCA locations currently offer Rock Steady Boxing, but organizers hope to expand.
"We're trying to expand our community, we're trying to grow it. Right now, our community is small. There are so many individuals out there with the disease and we'd like to help them out," Laura Esquivel, Health and Wellness Director at Blocker, said.
The program requires a YMCA membership, but scholarships are available. Joining starts with asking about the class and completing an initial evaluation.
Berry said watching participants refuse to be defined by their diagnosis is what keeps him coming back.
"To see somebody that is struggling with this disease and not give up. Not let them be defined by that disease. It's amazing," Berry said.
Dodson said the group has become more than just a fitness class.
"We're not a 'support group' as such, but we really support each other," Dodson said.
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