Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori B. Havas.
Hi Lori, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
An 18-wheeler and a Parkinson’s gym might seem like an unlikely combination, but both are part of my story. I just didn’t know one would eventually lead me to the other.
After I stopped driving trucks, I was dealing with severe back pain. Trying to get moving again wasn’t a smooth process. One workout actually set me back further. Eventually, I found my way to Lane Community College’s Women in Transition program, which opened a door I hadn’t expected. I went on to study exercise and movement science and became a personal trainer at the Downtown Athletic Club in Eugene, OR.
Then, in 2010, a man approached me and said, “Lori, I have Parkinson’s. Will you train me?”
I didn’t know anything about Parkinson’s, but I agreed to learn. His two physical therapists came to the club and taught me how to work with him. Looking back, that was a pretty remarkable beginning: one man willing to put his trust in me and two therapists willing to help me get started.
Through my work with Dr. Sara Batya, a Movement Disorder Specialist, I was introduced to Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon. That brought a new question my way: would I be willing to teach a class for people with Parkinson’s?
I said no. More than once.
Training one person was one thing. A whole room of people with different symptoms, abilities, and needs? That felt like a much bigger responsibility. But the question stayed with me until I finally asked myself, “Why can’t I do it?”
When I offered a class, about 30 people showed up. There I was, the person who had kept saying no, with a roomful of people ready to get moving.
It wasn’t a straight line from that first class to where we are today. There were setbacks, doubts, and a great deal to learn. But I kept learning, and the people I worked with kept showing me why it mattered.
Over time, I began to see that the conversations before and after class mattered, too. People could talk about a difficult day without having to explain Parkinson’s first. They could laugh together, make friends, and celebrate an accomplishment someone else might not understand. They came to exercise, but found people who understood them. This growing community became the heart of what we now call the Warriors.
Eventually, nearly 50 Warriors were exercising together. When the gym we were using changed its focus and we had to leave, we needed a new home. By then, these were people I had worked alongside, worried about, laughed with, and watched work incredibly hard. I was determined to find a way to keep us together.
The Oregon Parkinson’s Warriors Foundation and the Warriors Gym grew out of that determination. With help from donors, volunteers, families, and friends, we opened our doors in 2024 as the first gym dedicated to people with Parkinson’s in Lane County.
Today, as Founder and Program Director, I get to spend my days with people who bring determination, humor, and plenty of personality into the gym. We work hard, but we have a lot of fun together, too.
I couldn’t have mapped out this career if I’d tried. It started with finding my own way back to movement, then helping one man who asked me to learn. Somehow, that brought me to a gym full of Warriors, and I’m very glad it did.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been plenty of moments when I’ve thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” Usually followed by, “All right, how do we make this work?”
Early on, the biggest hurdle was my own confidence. I took the responsibility seriously, and teaching a class for people with Parkinson’s felt very different from working with someone one-on-one. There were so many different needs to consider. I had a lot to learn, and there were setbacks that made me question whether I could do it.
Later, one of the hardest moments came when the gym where we were exercising changed its focus and we had to leave. Nearly 50 people needed somewhere to go. Finding a space was one challenge; figuring out how to pay for it, equip it, and keep it running was another. I knew how to teach exercise. Building and sustaining a nonprofit required an entirely new education.
Asking for money has been part of that education. I can talk all day about our Warriors and why this work matters, but learning to turn that passion into fundraising, grants, budgets, and enough dependable support to pay the bills has been challenging. Keeping classes affordable while covering the cost of running the gym is an ongoing balancing act.
And then there is the personal side. When you work closely with people living with a progressive disease, you care about them. It’s hard to watch someone struggle with something that came more easily a few months before. You celebrate their progress, but you also have to adapt when their needs change.
What has helped me through those challenges is the willingness of other people to step in. Local businesses have contributed products and services, donors have given generously, and volunteers, our board, and the Warriors and their families have offered their time, ideas, and helping hands. I’m still learning how to ask for help and share the responsibility. There is a lot behind every class we teach, and keeping those doors open takes a community.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Oregon Parkinson’s Warriors Foundation?
I’m the Founder and Program Director of the Oregon Parkinson’s Warriors Foundation and an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist specializing in exercise for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
At the Warriors Gym, that means a workday might include boxing, strength training, balance exercises, practicing bigger movements, and getting people to use their voices. Sometimes we add a thinking challenge while they’re moving. There is a purpose behind all of it: helping people maintain the abilities they use every day, from getting out of a chair to navigating a crowded room.
One of my favorite parts of this work is figuring out how to make an exercise work for the person in front of me. Parkinson’s looks different from person to person, and someone’s abilities can change from day to day. I pay attention, make adjustments, and look for ways to challenge each person while helping them feel successful. Some people exercise standing, others seated. Everyone deserves an opportunity to participate and work toward something meaningful to them.
I think I’m known for bringing energy, encouragement, and a little mischief into class. We work hard, but there is room for laughter. People are much more willing to try something challenging when they feel comfortable with the person asking them to do it.
What sets our program apart is how closely the exercise and the community are connected. I get to know the people I teach: what matters to them, what they’re struggling with, and what they want to keep doing. Their goals give the exercises meaning. We also offer education and support for Warriors and care partners, because what happens outside the gym matters, too.
I’m most proud of helping create the first Parkinson’s-dedicated gym in Lane County. But the moments that stay with me are more personal: someone surprising themselves with what they can do, a new participant beginning to feel at home, or a spouse telling me, “You have given me my husband back.”
Those moments carry a lot of weight. They tell me that the work we do in the gym is making a difference in someone’s life beyond its doors.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
If there’s one thing I’d like readers to know, it’s that a Parkinson’s diagnosis doesn’t erase a person’s desire to have fun, challenge themselves, or be part of something. There is still so much living to do.
And if you know someone with Parkinson’s, reach out. Invite them along. Give them time to answer, time to move, and a chance to tell you what they need. A little patience and an invitation can make a bigger difference than you realize.
For those here in Lane County, I hope you’ll get to know the Warriors Gym. We welcome people living with Parkinson’s, care partners, volunteers, and anyone interested in helping this community thrive. You can find us at OPWF.org.
There’s usually some laughter coming from our corner of the world. Come find out what it’s about.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.OPWF.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oregonpwf
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OregonPWF
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-b-havas-856719311
