SF’s Rock Steady Boxing is fighting Parkinson’s one punch at a time
Veronica Garcia-Hayes was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease when she was 39 years old and four months pregnant. She described being in shock when she first got the diagnosis.
Updated: 6:09 PM PST Feb 20, 2026
Hearst TV Multimedia Journalist
Veronica Garcia-Hayes was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease when she was 39 years old and four months pregnant. She described being in shock when she first got the diagnosis.“It never even occurred to me that something like this could happen,” Garcia-Hayes said. “I wanted to focus on being a first-time mom.”That was in 2009, and for years she didn’t address the diagnosis. But in 2014, her symptoms started to become noticeable to her and those around her. Garcia-Hayes started taking medicine, and around that same time, she was introduced to Rock Steady Boxing, a program designed for people with Parkinson’s.Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder. Physical symptoms of the disease include tremors and slowed movement. However, according to a study from Yale School of Medicine, “high-intensity exercise induces brain-protective effects that have the potential to not just slow down, but possibly reverse, the neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease.”During Rock Steady Boxing classes, held inside the Hit Fit SF gym on Harrison St. in the Mission District, athletes are working and moving their full bodies. Hayes-Garcia has seen the impact firsthand.“It’s the exertion and getting that heart rate up to a certain level that really helps us slow that progression,” she said. “The medication allowed me to move my body the way I needed, and then boxing helps slow the progression. I didn’t have to up the medication as quickly as most do.”Hayes-Garcia is now a certified coach through Rock Steady Boxing, something that she said gives her purpose.“Not only am I helping myself, but I’m helping others. And I think one of the main reasons is my daughter. It’s all she’s ever known, but at the same time, I can’t not fight. I have to show her that that’s all we can do, is move forward,” Hayes-Garcia said.Hayes-Garcia is one of the featured speakers at the S.F. Chronicle’s Aging and Longevity Summit on Monday, Feb. 23. In-person tickets are sold out, but livestream tickets are still available. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SAN FRANCISCO —
Veronica Garcia-Hayes was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease when she was 39 years old and four months pregnant. She described being in shock when she first got the diagnosis.
“It never even occurred to me that something like this could happen,” Garcia-Hayes said. “I wanted to focus on being a first-time mom.”
That was in 2009, and for years she didn’t address the diagnosis. But in 2014, her symptoms started to become noticeable to her and those around her. Garcia-Hayes started taking medicine, and around that same time, she was introduced to Rock Steady Boxing, a program designed for people with Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder. Physical symptoms of the disease include tremors and slowed movement. However, according to a study from Yale School of Medicine, “high-intensity exercise induces brain-protective effects that have the potential to not just slow down, but possibly reverse, the neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease.”
During Rock Steady Boxing classes, held inside the Hit Fit SF gym on Harrison St. in the Mission District, athletes are working and moving their full bodies. Hayes-Garcia has seen the impact firsthand.
“It’s the exertion and getting that heart rate up to a certain level that really helps us slow that progression,” she said. “The medication allowed me to move my body the way I needed, and then boxing helps slow the progression. I didn’t have to up the medication as quickly as most do.”
Hayes-Garcia is now a certified coach through Rock Steady Boxing, something that she said gives her purpose.
“Not only am I helping myself, but I’m helping others. And I think one of the main reasons is my daughter. It’s all she’s ever known, but at the same time, I can’t not fight. I have to show her that that’s all we can do, is move forward,” Hayes-Garcia said.
Hayes-Garcia is one of the featured speakers at the S.F. Chronicle’s Aging and Longevity Summit on Monday, Feb. 23. In-person tickets are sold out, but livestream tickets are still available.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel