Florence, November 2020 - Historic Florentine football in aid of Parkinson's patients. For the entire month of November, footballers belonging to the city's four-colour teams will train patients of the 'Un Gancio Al Parkinson' association, the first in Italy to practise non-contact boxing to slow down the course of the disease. The initiative stems from the desire to bring together two realities united by the same passion: that of the footballers towards their colours and their traditions, and that of the Parkinson's patients, who fight against the disease with great determination and spirit of sacrifice.
Directing training at the Florence Training Lab, the medical centre where the Association's patients train free of charge, will be four professional boxers belonging to the four colours: David Cappelletti for the Whites, David Recati for the Greens, Marco Casamassima for the Reds and Marcello Trotta for the Blues. Each of them will dedicate one day a week to training, starting on Wednesday 4 November (6pm, with David Cappelletti of the Whites). The other lessons will be Friday 13 November (6pm, with Marcello Trotta of the Azzurri); Monday 16 November (1pm, with Marco Casamassima of the Reds) and Monday 23 at 12pm (with David Recati of the Greens).
"We chose to start this initiative in November because this month, i.e. Saturday 28, is National Parkinson's Day," explains Dr Maurizio Bertoni, president of the 'Un Gancio Al Parkinson' association. - Unfortunately, this year the anti Covid-19 regulations do not allow us to organise wide-ranging events, but we still wanted to give a signal, bringing together two city realities united by important values such as team and community spirit and the determination to achieve a specific goal'.
The association 'Un Gancio Al Parkinson' supports 39 patients (26 men and 13 women) between the ages of 50 and 85 free of charge twice a week. Each of them practices non-contact boxing, because the aim is not to hit the opponent, but to promote mobility. Fluid, clean gestures, punches at the bag, dodges, dry and cadenced commands are therefore the right tools to coordinate the limbs, improve posture, walking ability and also reflexes. Qualities that are trained very well through boxing. This experience will also result in a scientific publication analysing the benefits of boxing in slowing down Parkinson's symptoms. The first positive effects are already clearly visible, however.
According to the Association, in fact, after the first three months of training, patients show a good improvement in balance, posture and coordination, being able to move and walk better and maintain this progress in the medium to long term. There is also a marked improvement in mood. Today, anyone suffering from this disease can contact the Association 'Un Gancio Al Parkinson' free of charge and train at the Training Lab Centre, followed by specially trained boxing instructors.
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