- September 5, 2025
By Colleen Kelly, Director of Communications
Three years ago, Sister Kathleen Eiler received a diagnosis that could have knocked her down for good. Instead, she laced up bright pink boxing gloves and came out swinging.
The 83-year-old Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2021, but rather than surrendering to the progressive neurological condition, she discovered an unexpected ally in her fight: boxing.
"I was diagnosed three years ago, and shortly after that, there was an article in the Post-Dispatch," S. Kathleen recalls. "It had a picture of boxing gloves on it and said 'Parkinson's Boxing.' I read the article, and it sounded like such a good thing to do."
The article led her to Rock Steady Boxing, a specialized program designed specifically for people with Parkinson's disease. What started as curiosity has become a cornerstone of her health regimen — and her community.
S. Kathleen's journey with Parkinson's began with subtle changes that others noticed before she did. "Before I was diagnosed, I had a few falls and somebody said to me, 'Your speech is not the same as it usually is, and your walking is different,'" she remembers.
The morning she received her official diagnosis brought an unexpected moment of grace. "I had a dream that very morning before I went to the doctor," she shares. "In the dream, I was in the sacristy of the church, and I said to the other people, 'I would like to carry the cross today.' Then later that day with the doctor, I got my cross. God very clearly told me, 'This is your cross.'"
That divine message gave her the strength to face her diagnosis with determination rather than despair.
Twice a week, S. Kathleen joins her fellow fighters at the Rock Steady Boxing facility in Fenton. The program, which now operates in 32 locations across the St. Louis area, was founded by Scott Newman, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 40 and refused to accept the typical progression of the disease.
"He had a friend who was a Golden Glove boxer, and he started working out with him," S. Kathleen explains. "He noticed the difference that it made in his ability to move and get around, and he thought, 'Maybe there's a possibility that other people could try this.'"
The program that saved Newman's mobility has now become S. Kathleen's lifeline. Each hour-long session combines 30 minutes of boxing with 30 minutes of strengthening exercises designed to target the entire body.
"The exercise part of the class usually has seven or eight stations, and you're assigned with a partner," she describes. "You do each exercise for two minutes — balancing exercises, stepping up and down, stepping over things, weights, rubber "therapy" bands for stretching. It keeps all the different parts of your body moving and that's what you need."
While the physical benefits are undeniable — S. Kathleen notes she can do far more now than when she first started — the mental and emotional support from her boxing community has been equally transformative.
"It's such a neat group of people," she says. "I didn't know anybody with Parkinson's before I had it, but it's a beautiful community. We really get involved with each other, and they're concerned about you. If you're not there for a while, a couple of people will call asking what's going on."
The encouragement flows both ways. When S. Kathleen told one classmate she sometimes gets discouraged, the response was immediate: "Oh, don't give up. Just keep at it. It does make a difference."
S. Kathleen's fellow sisters at Nazareth Living Center were initially surprised by her new hobby. "They say, 'Boxing? Boxing?' I tell them, 'Yes, but with a dummy — we never box with each other,'" she laughs. "I think they're surprised because it's the little old lady going boxing."
But those bright pink boxing gloves tell a different story — one of resilience, community and refusing to let a diagnosis define your limits. As S. Kathleen puts it simply, "I would encourage anyone with Parkinson's to give it a try. You don't have to be perfect. They are so encouraging, and the reason you're there is to do the best you can do."
In a life dedicated to serving others through education and spiritual companionship,
S. Kathleen has learned that sometimes the most important person to fight for is yourself. And she's winning that fight, one jab at a time.