NEW YORK (VINnews) — A 75-year-old Belgian woman, Nancy Vanderstraeten has been boxing for three years in an attempt to curb the progression of her Parkinson’s disease.
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Vanderstraeten, originally a painter and furniture designer, wandered around many countries in Europe before settling in Istanbul, Turkey with her husband 42 years ago. She adopted the Turkish name Naciye as a sign of her love for the Turkish people. Her husband died 15 years ago but she continued to live in the Turkish province of Antalya at the request of her daughter, who was interested in mountaineering.
Vanderstraeten believes that boxing is the key to stopping the progression of Parkinson’s although she admits that there is no cure for the disease, which she was diagnosed with seven years ago. Parkinson’s, a progressive disease that affects millions of people worldwide, produces tremors and stiffness as well as problems walking and speaking. Despite limited research, intense exercise has been associated with improving patients’ lives.
Initially she tried many medicines but suffered the familiar symptoms of tremors and even had to walk with a stick. However after she found out that non-contact boxing could help her rehabilitation, Vanderstraeten enrolled in a gym at the advice of her doctors. The boxing doesn’t involve hitting her head so there is no fear of head trauma but the movement itself is therapeutic for her.
Türkiye'ye 42 yıl önce yerleştikten sonra 'Naciye' adını kullanan Belçikalı 75 yaşındaki Nancy Vanderstraeten, parkinson hastalığının ilerlemesini önlemek için 3 yıldır boks yapıyor
— Yeni Şafak (@yenisafak) January 4, 2021
When she first stepped into the boxing ring, people watched the grandmother of eight with their mouths agape as they were not used to seeing women of her age in the ring.
“If you are more than 50 years old they really look at you like this: ‘What are you coming to do here?’ But they are gentle from the heart, the Turks. So they let me do it,” she told Reuters.
Despite her age and limitations, Vanderstraeten persevered and soon reaped the results.
“Before I had to use a walking stick. But now, by boxing, I fight my Parkinson’s disease every day,” she said. Based on what she has accomplished in the ring, she seems to have boxed it down quite well.
“Studies have shown that non-contact boxing is good for the brain so it is good for the Parkinson’s disease. Will it cure Parkinson’s disease? Probably not because it is a neuro-degenerative disorder… but it does improve the quality of life for patients,” said Geysu Karlikaya, a neurologist at Medicana Hospital in Istanbul.