Steve Gilbert
PA R K I N S O N ’ S D I S E A S E C A N ’ T S LOW D OW N LO C A L MARATHON RUNNER & ROCK STEADY BOXER STEVE GILBERT Writer / Jon Shoulders Photographer / Ron Wise
For Steve Gilbert, limits are illusions — nothing more than hindrances we place on ourselves. One glimpse into Gilbert’s physical accomplishments over the past decade, and it becomes apparent that such an optimistic personal philosophy has been shaped by plenty of adversity and a tireless work ethic. A few years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2004, Gilbert spotted a story in the newspaper about Rock Steady Boxing, a nonprofit that offers non-contact, boxing-inspired workouts for those with Parkinson’s. Never much of an athlete (he describes himself through junior high and
high school years as “the kid in math club, not the kid on the ball field”), he was a bit intimidated but intrigued enough to try it out. After one class, he was hooked. “It was hard work, and they kept telling me I could do things that I didn’t think I could do,” says Gilbert, a 73-year-old Indy native and Fishers resident. “It’s meant for people with movement difficulties, and I thought it sounded like fun. I reached a new level of fitness that I never had before. It transformed my life emotionally and spiritually.” In 2010, Gilbert’s younger brother Bruce, a Kansas resident and a runner since junior high who has completed eight Boston Marathons starting in 1969, came to Indy for the Geist Half Marathon. Having attained newfound confidence 52 / GEIST MAGAZINE / MARCH 2020 / atGeist.com
and unexpected success in his physical development thanks to regular workouts at Rock Steady, Gilbert figured it was time for an additional challenge and decided to join Bruce for the race. “It was so empowering to finish that half marathon, thinking back on all the progress I’d made and dealing with Parkinson’s,” Gilbert says. “I guess I got the running bug, and I did the Geist Half and the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon the next year. I’ve been running pretty much nonstop ever since.” And the fitness opportunities keep coming. This spring, Gilbert was contacted by Blake Boldon, director of the Drake Relays, one of the top track and field events in the country held in Des Moines, Iowa. Boldon
