Calgary gym’s Parkinson’s boxing program inspires play [Video]

A Calgary gym’s boxing program for people with Parkinson’s Disease is the inspiration behind a new play.

Laura Swart says Foo Fighter uses the sport of boxing to tell a story about people who are emotionally, physically and mentally knocked down, and how they get back up.

“It’s about what you do when you’re down,” Swart said. “I think the messaging we hear a lot is, ‘You’re fantastic, you can do anything you want’ – and that’s not always true.”

Swart says the boxing theme comes from her post-pandemic search for a gym that featured boxing. She landed at the Silvertip Training Centre, and was inspired by the members and ownership.

“I specialize in Calgary stories, ordinary people doing extraordinary things in Calgary,” she said. “I’ve always got a nose for a story, and I thought this would be a great story.”

Darcy Irwin, the managing director of Silvertip, says the Grizzly Strides programis for people …