Page 4 - MidWeek Kauai - Oct 27, 2021

4 KAUA‘I MIDWEEK OCTOBER 27, 2021
ather than hold a public walk at Magic Island in Ho- nolulu like it’s done in pre-
vious years, Hawai‘i Parkinson Association’s annual Exercise Day will be held virtually in 2021 and comprise a series of short in- teractive exercise classes.
The event is set for 9 a.m.- noon on Sunday, Nov. 14.
“The classes will only be 5-7 minutes each,” says Hawai‘i Parkinson Association president Jerry Boster. “The idea is to give people a feel for what that type of exercise is like but not tire them out since we are planning for 12 segments. We’re planning segments across the exercise spectrum from the heavy cardio like boxing to the light, targeted exercises like singing and drum- ming.”
Each segment will have an instructor, including American Ninja Warrior contestant Jimmy Choi, who also has Parkinson’s.
Boster is hoping to attract “about 200 people” to this year’s event.
“This is also our big annual fundraiser,” he says. “Our goal is $50,000, the same as last year when we raised $54,000. We are off to a decent start and have raised about $25,000 so far.
“One of the good things about donations is it all stays here in Hawai‘i,” he adds. “We’re an all-volunteer board. None of us gets paid.”
The public can register for the Nov. 14 event and donate by visit- ing go.rallyup.com/hpawalk2021 and donations can also be made online at parkinsonshawaii.org.
(From left) Patient Lena Matsumoto, instructor Kathy Lohman, patient Robert Frederick, personal trainer Glen Higa, Jerry Boster, patient Mike De Cero, exercise physiologist Amber Curtiss and patient Raymond Kurosu
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Hawai‘i Parkinson Association president Jerry Boster continues to be an inspiration and help to those living with the dreaded nervous system condition. That includes himself.
J erry Boster is not a household name like Michael J. Fox, Mu- hammad Ali, Linda Ronstadt
necessary treatment, but also placed him in a position to help others who live with the condition.
spirituality and all the other things that go into a person.”
or Pope John Paul II. But he does share something in common with all of these famous people.
“By inclination and training, I’m a guy that makes things happen, so I started getting involved in the (Hawai‘i) Parkinson Association,” elaborates Boster.
As the leader of the nonprofit volunteer group, which comprises people living with the condition, caregivers, family members, health care professionals and business leaders, Boster is always looking for assistance in two primary ways — through volunteer work and do- nations.
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He, too, has Parkinson’s.
Boster learned of his progressive neurodegenerative condition eight years ago while in the process of retiring as a U.S. Navy command- er. The news, he says, hit him like a “gut punch.”
Initially, he formed a fundraising team for the association’s annual walk (see story at right). When those efforts went well, he was asked to join the organization’s board of di- rectors in 2016. A year later, he was named its president and he’s served in that role ever since.
“Supporting the patients and help- ing them live the best life they can is our No. 1 mission,” says the man who spends much of his time advo- cating nationally on policy issues in coordination with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research, as well as serving as an ambassador for the Parkinson’s Foundation, Da- vis Phinney Foundation and more.
Admittedly, he disregarded the early signs of Parkinson’s, a condi- tion that affects 1 million Americans and 8 million people worldwide.
For Boster, addressing the needs of the whole person remains the as- sociation’s focus, and exercise for those affected by the disease is “a critical piece of their treatment.”
“My wife, Janice, had seen the left-hand tremors and change in gait. She brought them to my attention, but I was in denial so I ignored her and the symptoms,” he remembers.
“I have a triangle that I use,” he explains. “One side of the triangle is medication, one side is exercise and the third side is wellness — which is diet and nutrition, mental stability,
Boster notes the local association conducts support groups, offers education and exercise sessions (which include boxing and cardio
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Fortunately, a family friend was finally able to talk him into seeing a neurologist. Doing so not only put him on the path to receiving the
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