ASHEVILLE, N.C. – An Asheville man is not letting a Parkinson’s diagnosis hold him back or keep him down.
Not only is Les Vann an advocate raising awareness around the disease, he is actively working to improve his symptoms.
“I've done a lot of athletic stuff in my life, but I never boxed,” Vann said.
That is, until his doctor recommended he pick up the sport when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. He now puts on his boxing gloves two to three times a week.
“I started a week after I was diagnosed, and it's been one of the most fun, athletic things I’ve done in my life, despite the circumstances under which I’m doing them,” he said.
Vann said the activity releases a lot of endorphins for him which is something he said he can't have enough of. He’s seeing improvement in his balance and gait which are some of his worst symptoms of the disease.
Vann always knew there was the chance he would find himself with Parkinson’s. It runs in his family. Both of his parents had the disease and died from it.
“They didn't have the opportunity to do these physical programs,” said Vann. “Nobody was doing that.”
Vann decided to retire from his long, successful career in broadcasting a year after his diagnosis. It was sooner than he wanted to, but he said he had to work full-time on Parkinson’s to get better. He’s doing that with a full schedule each week to better his symptoms.
“I Parkinson’s dance on Monday, I box on Monday, I walk on Tuesday and Thursday, at PT again on Wednesday, on Saturday I take a strength Zoom class for Parkinson’s,” Vann said.
His goal is to never stop moving.
I am only 65 years old and I want to have a very high quality of life to watch my grandkids grow up.”
He and his wife have two sons, and two grandkids. He misses being able to chase them. What keeps him going and constantly motivated is his family.
“I don't want to do anything that's going to make a bigger burden on them,” he said.
His doctors told him he needed to make goals, to plan things so he could have something to look forward to. This is a common recommendation for Parkinson’s patients.
“My goal is to be able to get back out on the golf course, even if it's, you know, I have to go in a cart and I have to play in flatland, have to get help, but I want to do that,” Vann said.
He used to golf 70 to 80 rounds a year before his diagnosis. Sports were and are a big part of his life and he’s not giving up on them.
Vann’s doctor of physical therapy, Nathaniel Goodwin, said it’s been proven high intensity exercise helps improve quality of life in Parkinson’s patients. He’s seen Vann’s strength and mobility improve.
“When I first met Les, he was extremely weak,” Dr. Goodwin said. “He was a big fall risk, he actually emulated with a walker. Now, he's running laps in this clinic. He's stronger than he was and he's got a lot more balanced, he doesn't walk with a cane or even an assistive device anymore.”
Even though there’s no cure, Vann wants to motivate all his fellow “Parkies” to get out and keep moving and to not let the diagnosis ruin your quality of life.
“I'm safe, happy and content, which is, you know, you really can't ask for more than that,” Vann said.
Vann stays busy with constantly working to improve his Parkinson’s disease, but he makes time to be an editor for the Asheville Parkinson’s Support Group Newsletter. He is constantly trying to raise awareness around the disease.
To learn more about Parkinson’s and the support out there for those affected by the disease, click here.
