'Find A Way:' TBI Survivor Brings Boxing, Hope To Parkinson's Fighters

MANHATTAN, IL — Maria Tovo remembers what it was like to not feel like herself, her body not moving the way it used to, her mind not as clear as it once was. The Minooka resident was 41 years old in 2013, when she suffered a traumatic brain injury that upended her life.

Now 51, Tovo, a longtime emergency room nurse and flight nurse, was 41 years old and on a medevac flight when the jet door fell on her head, causing a traumatic brain injury and extensive injury to her neck and spine. Her recovery was months long, and left her with physical disabilities cognitive impairment.

"I had several months of my life taken away from me," Tovo said.

Several surgeries, plates and screws later, Tovo's condition rendered her unsuitable to work in the ER environment. A previously always active and on the move mother of three, she started seeking ways to rebuild her strength. She found her way to a boxing class—a twist of fate that would change not only her state of physical wellbeing, but her career path.

"Boxing helped me be able to think better, breathe better, think more clearly," Tovo said.

With a background that has included volunteerism and helping others, Tovo gave some of her time to a program called Rock Steady Boxing. Offering boxing classes intended for personal trainers, physical therapists, rehab facilities, boxing coaches, and other certified fitness and medical professionals, the program is tailored to the needs of individuals suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

"A TBI and Parkinson’s are very similar," Tovo said.

She trained to become an affiliate of the program, and opened her own gym based in Channahon with the plan of offering classes. She's now preparing to open her second location, at 25624 S. Gougar Rd in Manhattan, to be named Rock Steady Boxing Vitality. The gym will be under the umbrella of her fitness label REAP Vitality—Resilience, Endurance, Attitude, Performance.

"We’ve watched so many people have significant changes in their life, how their doctors tell them the improvements they have," Tovo said. "The camaraderie, the family—they come there, they worry about each other, hold each other accountable—there’s such a connection in that community."

The boxing motions, training components, and repetitive, consistent nature of training and attending multiple classes per week help create positive change in those diagnosed with Parkinson's, Tovo said. Clay Johnson, 70, of Joliet, says the classes have helped him immensely. Johnson was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2018, and after being medicated for a year, doctors recommended he look into Rock Steady.

"That was a year ago, and it’s made such a difference," Johnson told Patch. "Parkinson's drains you of stamina and balance. What Rock Steady boxing does for me—these short bursts of workout, retrains my brain to have better balance, core strength.

"The medication allows me to function day-to-do, but the boxing extends my life. That’s how important she is to us. ... It allows me more functionality throughout the day. A year ago I was afraid to take one step on a step stool. his disease, it drains you of energy. You’re always tired. By forcing me to do this three times a week, it’s really helped in those areas."

Tovo hopes to open her Manhattan location by April 1. Current clients at her Channahon location come from all over and as far south as Kankakee, she said, so she's eager to have another location that can accommodate those located further. She plans to offer two classes each weekday. Tovo has coordinated with the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab out of Silver Cross, with aim of maintaining a flow of referrals. Ideally, patients will flow from therapy at the facility, to classes at her gym. A certified personal trainer, she eventually would like to offer physical fitness, personal training at her Manhattan facility, but in the short-term her focus is tight on people with Parkinson's.

"They’re my passion," she said. "They’re the people I want to grow."

Tinley Park resident Pat Wilkins, 73, said she goes three times a week, and has seen such a change in her symptoms since she started three years ago. Wilkins was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2017 after showing symptoms for two years.

"It was recommended by my doctor as one of the best programs for Parkinson’s," Wilkins said. Wilkins started right before COVID-19 hit, and Tovo then carried her classes over online into Zoom sessions.

"You really need the daily exercise, and if you don’t get it, you fall behind real quick," Wilkins said. "She was a God-send when she did that for us."

She's seen an improvement in her balance since beginning the classes, she added.

"Balance is always a problem, and that keeps you from falling, when she works so much with us on balance and coordination," she said.

Tovo said she's excited to bring the classes to a wider audience, and share her story of overcoming her own personal obstacles and setbacks.

"This is truly a way to slow down Parkinson’s, and it is working," she said. The program is accredited by the Parkinson's Foundation, as "training provides full understanding of PD and its relationship to exercise."

"This program, what they’ve found—boxing specifically rewires the brain, reconnects the brain to the muscle, rewiring the brain to the muscle. They have more balance, they don’t fall as much, they’re more confident."

Tovo said she hopes her story will also inspire those struggling with symptoms.

"People are just amazed that you can have something like that happen to you, you can still move forward, still be strong, but in a different way," Tovo said. "Despite traumas, obstacles, you can find ways to get through it.

"I have it tattooed on my arm: Find a way. There’s no end. There’s always some way around you to get through, around. We’re all broken, and that’s okay.

"We’ll all support each other. Find a way."

Find out more about Rock Steady Boxing Vitality on their Facebook page.