Research is an essential part of being a changemaker. Research forms the foundation for effective global rehabilitative programs. It allows us to fill in knowledge gaps and to discover the answers to questions such as, “Why have fall statistics remained unchanged over the past 25 years?”
Darbe Schlosser and Nate Ward will be leading a 6 month project to teach martial arts combatives to combat Parkinson's disease to a group of 12 students from St. Cyprian private school in Makoma, Uganda. We are building out a smart room that will provide an immersive experience for both parties. We will be zooming in our current classes so the students at St. Cyprian will have the opportunity to experience and learn from real time training. The top 3 students will be contracted into Si Buko Uganda as PD exercise specialists helping people with Parkinson's throughout the rural communities of Uganda. This will be a one of kind experience that will hopefully allow Motorvation to bring this hybrid model into underserved parts of the US. None of this would be possible if it wasn't for Hannington!
The Kirk Gibson Foundation sponsored a 5 person Brain Blast team led by Kim Rotundo. Kim has PD and is a 5.0 ranked competitive pickle ball player. She lives in the upper peninsula of Michigan. This experience has give Kim the tools and confidence to hopefully start an exercise program in her rural hometown of Michigan to help more people with Parkinson's.
Label Daddy sponsored a 5 person Brain Blast team for 16 sessions to be taught by Nate Ward. Nate is one of Motorvation's head trainers, the Motorvation Foundation Vice President, and a person kicking Parkinson's butt. The sessions began on April 4th, kicking off Parkinson's awareness month. This team has blossomed together and is forming such an amazing bond. We have participants from Indiana, to Las Vegas, to Juarez Mexico all the way up to New Foundland and down to gator country in the Louisiana Bayou. The team is led by Nate who lives outside of Flint Michigan. Each individual is going to make a tremendous impact in their community. Stay tuned!
Motorvation is providing Parkinson's athletes with individual training to learn how to implement Motorvation's Methodologies within their sport of choice. These individuals are also receiving 6 hours per month for one year of synchronous learning of motor learning principles to better instruct other individuals they are working with who have PD. This grant is pivotal in building the foundation of a Parkinson's Peer based Community. The photo above is of a grant recipient who also runs a Rock Steady Boxing program in Peoria Il. The video below is a grant recipient leading her first pickle ball clinic for PD.
Although Motorvation is a specialized program for people with Parkinson's disease, there are many benefits of the training from a motor and cognitive perspective on people outside of the PD community. Darbe trained Connor throughout his entire high school years while he was competing as a high level epee fencer. Connor is now a student at Stanford in their fencing program.
In 2013, Mariette was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This year, she received 21 sessions of virtual coaching and consulting from Motorvation which was funded by the Parkinson’s Foundation. She received an additional 10 sessions funded by Roger and Delores Odell private trust. Mariette completed her sessions and made tremendous improvements in motor control and motor learning. She was dedicated, determined, and prepared every session. She took notes, played back videos, and asked questions. She was able to learn how to observe. This skill translated into her own practice as a volunteer coach who runs a group boxing fitness class for People with Parkinson’s in the Netherlands. The Roger and Delores Odell private trust recently funded multiple consulting sessions with Mariette and her group class at ParkinsonSport.nl She videos each 90-minute session, I review it, and then the two of us go over ways to improve on everything from beginning to end. I am able to see personalities based on movement and observations rather than language. (I don’t speak dutch ) Mariette is learning how to help others with tools she learned through the Motorvation system while continuing to improve and grow as an athlete.
The Roger and Delores Odell private trust funded consulting sessions to help bring a boxing program implementing Motorvation’s Methodologies into the Texas Panhandle. I coached Dennis Nichols from 2017 to 2019 in Las Vegas. In 2019, he moved to Amarillo Texas and continued training at Nick’s Fight Club. This was not a Parkinson’s program; however, Dennis developed so much skill and control with really understanding boxing biomechanics and footwork that he was able to fit right in and excel. During Covid the gyms closed down and Dennis took a few steps backwards. Perseverance led him back into Nick’s Fight Club in April of this year where he met Bobby Murray, a coach and athlete training out of the gym in addition to being the gym’s new owner. Dennis and another individual inspired Bobby to develop a program specifically for Parkinson’s disease. Bobby and I were introduced in June of 2021. We have been meeting online to build the confidence to market and expand to the program with the proper foundational knowledge.
These 960 sessions have been critical in providing insight into real world application while influencing the development of future programs. There are a multitude of variables that must first be addressed to fully maximize the benefits of exercise. Comorbidities of Parkinson's disease as well as normal aging decline which are many times intensified by the disease may create a domino effect that negatively impact the consistency of exercise, injury prevention, and the transfer of learning. We have taken an individual centered approach
