MPD, local group throw punches at Parkinson’s
Jerry Rubio works with Reginald Foster during a boxing class for Memphians with Parkinson's hosted by the MPD Oct. 9, 2024. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
“Step right. Jab. Step left. Jab.”
Memphis Police Department officer Reginald Foster calls out the commands to a group of elderly trainees at MPD’s boxing gym, Wednesday, Oct. 9.
“Don’t forget to breathe,” Foster says.
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Dressed in a polo, khakis and loafers, Frank Navarra watches closely and mimics Foster’s movements with a slightly off-beat rhythm.
After a few more warmup exercises, the gloves came out.
Navarra squeezes into a pair of black and yellow gloves and joins a smaller group of four.
“One, two, slip. Two, roll, two, pivot,” Foster calls out, cueing the boxers’ movements.
Smack! Smack!
Navarra throws soft jabs at Foster’s padded hands, ducks down and throws another punch.
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At 79, Navarra is not your traditional fighter. He has Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder that affects more than a million Americans.
Navarra is also a board member for 901 Parkinson’s Fighters, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing programs and resources to those with Parkinson’s and their families.
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Aarron Fleming
Once an intern, he never left, joining the staff full-time in 2022 as an education reporter. He moved to public safety in 2023, where he covered some of the city’s biggest court cases, including the criminal trials for those charged in the deaths of Tyré Nichols and rapper Young Dolph. He also chronicled the Shelby County Jail and the deaths that have occurred at the facility.
He now provides suburban coverage, focusing on DeSoto County and the surrounding municipalities.
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