Page 16 - MidWeek - Oct 20, 2021

16 MIDWEEK OCTOBER 20, 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.
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.
Jerry Boster is not a household name like Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali, Linda Ronstadt or Pope John Paul II. But he does share something in common with all of these famous people.
Boster learned of his progressive neurode- generative condition eight years ago while in the process of retiring as a U.S. Navy com- mander. The news, he says, hit him like a “gut punch.”
He, too, has Parkinson’s.
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 necessary treatment, but also placed him in a position to help others who live with the condition.
is “a critical piece of their treatment.”
“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, spirituality and all the other things that go into
Admittedly, he disregarded the early signs of Parkinson’s, a condition that affects 1 mil- lion Americans and 8 million people world- wide.
“By inclination and training, I’m a guy that makes things happen, so I started getting involved in the (Hawai‘i) Parkinson Associa- tion,” elaborates Boster.
a person.”
As the leader of the nonprofit volunteer
“My wife, Janice, had seen the left-hand tremors and change in gait. She brought them
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 directors in 2016. A year later, he was named its president
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 prima-
to my attention, but I was in denial so I ignored her and the symptoms,” he remembers.
and he’s served in that role ever since.
For Boster, addressing the needs of the whole person remains the association’s focus, and exercise for those affected by the disease
(From left) YMCA member Lena Matsumoto, YMCA instructor Kathy Lohman, patient Robert Frederick, personal trainer Glen Higa, Jerry Boster, patient Mike De Cero, exercise physiologist Amber Curtiss and patient Raymond Kurosu
SEE PAGE 21