Parkinson's: An Athlete's Journey

Parkinson’s changes how the brain controls movement. But movement can also change the brain. In this episode, Todd Vogt and Eric Von Frohlich sit down with Julie Hershberg, neurological physical therapist and founder of re+active therapy & wellness, to talk about why exercise may be one of the most powerful tools we have for living with Parkinson’s. They get into neuroplasticity, symptom variability, training the nervous system, and what it means to adapt when the body does not always respond the same way twice.This conversation is about learning to work with what is there, train what is possible, and keep moving with purpose.Key Takeaways:Exercise can support brain change, not just physical fitnessParkinson’s requires adaptable training because symptoms varyProgress starts with working from what is real, not what is idealKey Moments:00:00 Introduction to Julie Hershberg and re+active therapy & wellness 03:40 Why exercise matters so much in Parkinson’s 08:15 Neuroplasticity and how movement affects the brain 13:35 Training the nervous system, not just the muscles 18:20 Symptom variability and adapting day to day 23:10 How athletes approach Parkinson’s differently 28:00 Why meaningful movement works better than going through the motions 33:10 Working with what is there, not what you wish was there 38:00 Final thoughts on training, adaptation, and purposeAbout the Guest:Julie Hershberg is a neurological physical therapist and founder of re+active therapy & wellness, where she helps people with Parkinson’s and other neurologic conditions rebuild trust in their bodies and nervous systems, while keeping movement creative, challenging, and fun.She is passionate about interdisciplinary care, creative movement, and helping people return to the activities that make life meaningful.Connect with Julie:Website: https://www.reactivept.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hershberg-pt-dpt-ncs-40481545/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reactivept/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neurologicptlosangelesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reactiveptTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reactivetherapyAbout the hosts:Todd Vogt and Eric Von Frohlich are athletes living with Parkinson’s who share what they’re learning in real time: what’s working, what’s frustrating, and how to keep moving forward with an athlete’s mindset.Follow / connect:🎧 Subscribe: https://parkinsons-an-athletes-journey.transistor.fm/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkinsonsathletepodcast/🌐 Website: https://www.ericvonfrohlich.com/podcast🤝 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parkinsons-an-athletes-journey-podcast/?viewAsMember=trueDisclaimer:This podcast contains personal experience and education only, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical decisions.

In this episode, Eric and Todd catch up on Eric’s latest health updates, including how he is managing AFib, recent cardiac testing, and the way those challenges are shaping his training. They talk through what it feels like when the numbers do not quite line up, including HRV, unexpected heart rate spikes, and body composition readings, and how they are learning to navigate uncertainty without spiraling.The conversation then shifts to one of the hardest Parkinson’s symptoms to explain: apathy. Not laziness. Not weakness. More like a neurological freeze that can make even the things you love feel difficult to start. They explore how apathy shows up in daily life, how it impacts identity, and a few simple experiments they are trying to create momentum and keep moving forward.Key Takeaways:Chronic health management can feel like a constant cycle: adapt, reassess, repeat.Apathy is real and neurological. It is not a character flaw.Some days are about progress. Other days are about maintenance.Rating your day helps reduce emotion in decision-making.You do not have to solve everything. You just have to keep showing up.Key Moments:00:31 – Bloodwork, testosterone changes, and tracking baselines01:09 – AFib, cardiac testing, CT scan results, and shifting to steady-state training03:30 – HRV confusion: when “high” numbers may not mean what you think06:09 – Body composition data, skepticism, and humor as coping08:50 – Sleep disruption, travel fatigue, and symptom flare-ups11:30 – Diet talk, protein timing, and fueling as endurance athletes (personal experience)21:20 – Rating symptoms 1–10: defining “worst day” vs “best day”22:48 – The reality of apathy: lack of motivation even for things you love24:00 – Movement as a reset: shaking the body to break the freeze28:20 – The Iboga story: processing dopamine loss and identity (personal experience)33:40 – THC, sleep, tremor, and shifting perspective (personal experience)Follow / Connect:🔔 Subscribe: https://parkinsons-an-athletes-journey.transistor.fm/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkinsonsathletepodcast/🌐 Website: https://www.ericvonfrohlich.com/podcast💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parkinsons-an-athlete-s-journey-podcast/?viewAsMember=trueDisclaimer:This podcast reflects personal experience and educational discussion only. It is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions related to medications, supplements, training, or treatment.

“How are you doing?”For most people, it’s small talk. With Parkinson’s, it can feel like an exercise in figuring out what people really want to hear, and how much truth is too much.Todd Vogt and Eric Von Frohlich talk through the lived experience of that moment, when you want to answer honestly, but the honest answer can come out sounding like a list of what isn’t working. They unpack how the answer changes depending on who you’re talking to: acquaintances get the quick “I’m doing alright,” while family and people you love can be harder, because you don’t want to overburden them either.From there, the conversation shifts to what anchors them: training. They discuss Concept2 rankings, chasing benchmarks, and Todd's latest results while training in an altitude room.They also talk wrist dexterity limitations, compensation patterns that can quietly lead to tendonitis, and why athlete-level body awareness can be an unexpected advantage when navigating a progressive condition.This one is all about navigating honesty and continuing to show up, even when the answer isn’t simple.Key Takeaways:“How are you?” isn’t small talk when you live with Parkinson’s. Navigating honesty is part of the training.Athlete awareness helps distinguish Parkinson’s symptoms from normal soreness, fatigue, and aging.Compensation patterns (like wrist limitations leading to arm overuse) can create secondary issues.You don’t stop chasing performance. You just adjust the math.Key Moments:00:40 – Weekly check-in: symptoms vs. soreness03:15 – The “How are you?” dilemma: how honest is too honest?08:20 – Athlete body awareness as an advantage14:05 – Concept2 logbook + global ranking (16th/17th worldwide)18:40 – Altitude-room training and performance metrics24:10 – Wrist dexterity, compensation, and tendonitis31:55 – The balance between realism and resilience39:20 – Closing mindset: keep training, adjust expectationsFollow / Connect:🔔 Subscribe: https://parkinsons-an-athletes-journey.transistor.fm/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkinsonsathletepodcast/ 🌐 Website: https://www.ericvonfrohlich.com/podcast 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parkinsons-an-athlete-s-journey-podcast/?viewAsMember=trueDisclaimer:Personal experience and education only, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical decisions.

Parkinson’s doesn’t just challenge your body. It challenges your identity.In this episode, Todd Vogt and Eric Von Frohlich talk candidly about what happens when Parkinson’s forces a shift in career, competition, and self-perception: what do you do when the thing that defined you starts changing?They explore nostalgia, gratitude, job hunting, and the difference between outcome goals and process goals. They discuss the mental highs and lows of not giving up, and redefining what competing looks like now.Key Takeaways:The present moment matters most. Anxiety lives in the future; regret lives in the past. Training happens now.Process > outcome. Focusing on daily actions compounds more than chasing times, rankings, or validation.Athletic identity evolves. At some point, every athlete faces decline: Parkinson’s just accelerates the timeline.Grace is part of the work. Transitions require patience with yourself.Say yes. Community and new experiences (like inclusive sailing) can shift perspective fast.Key Moments:00:32 – Atmospheric river story + environmental exposure questions03:30 – Genetics vs. environment: the “what caused it?” conversation05:17 – Inclusive sailing + saying yes to opportunity07:28 – Mindset shift: openness, gratitude, and community11:20 – Nostalgia vs. fear of the future13:37 – “Any day on the water is a good day”15:48 – Ego, aging, and athletic decline18:18 – Process goals vs outcome goals22:28 – AFib update + training limitations23:10 – Career limbo + Parkinson’s and employment29:46 – Forced retirement vs choosing to walk awayFollow / Connect:🔔 Subscribe: https://parkinsons-an-athletes-journey.transistor.fm/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkinsonsathletepodcast/ 🌐 Website: https://www.ericvonfrohlich.com/podcast 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parkinsons-an-athlete-s-journey-podcast/?viewAsMember=trueDisclaimer:Personal experience and education only, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical decisions.

Adaptive sport asks a simple question: what does the sport require, and how do you build the athlete to meet it. Todd Vogt and Eric Von Frohlich sit down with Ellen Minzner, elite rowing coach and leader in adaptive and Paralympic sport, to discuss coaching athletes with disabilities through standards, structure, and respect. From Parkinson’s to para rowing to the Paralympic Games, the conversation centers on competition, training, and an athlete-first approach.Ellen shares why being treated like an athlete matters, how competition supports development, and why Parkinson’s presents unique challenges in training because it is progressive and unstable. Coaching decisions, sport demands, and measurable progress remain central throughout.What You’ll Learn:Why adaptive athletes don’t want to be “coddled.” They want standards, structure, and the chance to improve.How competition functions as a training tool, not just a finish line.What makes Parkinson’s different from other disabilities in sport and why coaching has to adapt.How elite coaches separate sport demands from limitations.Why the Paralympics normalize disability in a way everyday life often doesn’t.Key Takeaways:➡️ Treat the person like an athlete, not a diagnosis. Expectations matter, and so does respect.➡️ Competition drives integration. Skills, nerves, fitness, and mindset have to show up together.➡️ Adaptive sport requires precision. Progressive conditions like Parkinson’s require constant adjustment.➡️ Improvement fuels motivation. Athletes need evidence they are getting better, not just “participating.”Key Moments:00:00 – Introduction to Ellen Minzner and her background in rowing and adaptive sport03:10 – Why the Paralympic Games are so powerful and surprisingly accessible as a fan experience06:45 – “The world is built for them.” Disability normalized at the Paralympics10:20 – What adaptive athletes actually want from coaches14:05 – Competition as a tool for growth, not just medals18:40 – The spectrum of disability in adaptive sport including congenital, acquired, and progressive23:15 – Parkinson’s as a non-stable condition and what that means for training27:30 – Defining sport demands versus limitations. What must be trained, adapted, or accepted31:10 – “They just want to be treated like an athlete”34:50 – Why hard work and visible improvement matter more than inspiration38:20 – The danger of lowering standards in adaptive sport42:00 – Closing thoughts on respect, effort, and doing meaningful workAbout the guest:Ellen Minzner is the Para High Performance Director at USRowing, where she leads the U.S. Para national team program. She was named the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s 2023 Paralympic Coach of the Year, and under her leadership, Team USA earned two silver medals at the 2023 World Rowing Championships and qualified boats for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.A former elite athlete, Ellen is a two-time World Champion in the lightweight women’s pair (1995, 1996) and a Pan American Games gold medalist. She has also held leadership roles focused on inclusion and access in rowing, including work at Community Rowing, Inc.Connect with Ellen:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenminzner/?hl=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenminzner/About the hosts:Todd Vogt and Eric Von Frohlich are athletes living with Parkinson’s who share what they’re learning in real time: what’s working, what’s frustrating, and how to keep moving forward with an athlete’s mindset.Follow / connect:🎧 Subscribe: https://parkinsons-an-athletes-journey.transistor.fm/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkinsonsathletepodcast/🌐 Website: https://www.ericvonfrohlich.com/podcast🤝 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parkinsons-an-athletes-journey-podcast/?viewAsMember=trueThis podcast contains personal experience and education only, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical decisions.

Parkinson’s doesn’t only show up during workouts; it shows up when you’re putting on a shirt, tying shoes, walking the dog, or getting up off the floor. In this episode, Todd Vogt and Eric Von Frohlich share how they “gamify” everyday tasks to turn normal life into training: adding constraints, timing tasks, using the non-dominant hand, and stacking small challenges that build mobility, coordination, confidence, and consistency.What You’ll Learn:How to turn daily tasks into “tests” you can repeat and improve (without needing more gym time).Why adding load / biofeedback, balance constraints, and the non-dominant side can make movement practice more effective and engaging.Simple “scoreboard” examples: the t-shirt challenge, timing your dog walk, shoe-tying reps, and “get ups.”A mindset shift: choose your challenge on purpose, instead of feeling like Parkinson’s is choosing it for you.Key Takeaways:Treat chores like training. “Gamification” makes daily work more engaging and helps skills that are already eroding show up stronger in real life.Repeat the test. Do a task multiple times to refine technique and efficiency (instead of just “getting through it”).Add constraints (load, balance, eyes closed, non-dominant hand) to create neurological + physical demand without fancy equipment.The floor is training. Practicing getting up and down builds confidence and reduces fear around falls and floor transitions.Do the work; don’t chase the outcome. The consistency compounds.Key Moments:00:32 – Weekly training check-in + medicine ball warmup ideas02:27 – Theme setup: movement practice “wherever you find it” + PT discussion (includes a mention of Jimmy Choi at the clinic)03:15 – Physical therapy tactics: add load, time tasks, and build “tests” (t-shirt/vest drill)05:28 – Why daily-life training matters: you notice PD more in day-to-day tasks than the gym06:00 – Stretching, mobility, juggling as cognitive/neurological work08:35 – Biofeedback + load (ankle/hand weights, trekking pole idea)09:47 – “Get ups” (Dan John) and why floor practice matters12:09 – Dog-walk gamification: 18 minutes → 15 minutes (move with purpose)36:22 – Shoe-tying reps + non-dominant hand + cognitive challenges38:49 – Shirt-on/off becomes training; add balance/load/eyes closed; “limited by imagination”43:18 – Why this is underappreciated + closing mindset (“do the work…”)Follow / Connect:🔔 Subscribe: https://parkinsons-an-athletes-journey.transistor.fm/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkinsonsathletepodcast/🌐 Website: https://www.ericvonfrohlich.com/podcast💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parkinsons-an-athlete-s-journey-podcast/?viewAsMember=trueDisclaimer:Personal experience and education only, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical decisions.

What happens when you’ve spent your whole life letting a time or a ranking define you as an athlete, and then Parkinson’s changes the rules?In this episode of Parkinson’s: An Athlete’s Journey, we talk about performance pressure, athlete identity, and how the “clock” can quietly become your self-worth. Todd breaks down why sports like rowing (and even swimming) can wire your brain to chase tenths of a second, and how that can mess with you when things shift.We also get real about motivation. Parkinson’s can dull that internal “rocket fuel,” and sometimes you have to brute-force your way into the work. We talk about redefining the metric: effort, consistency, and showing up, even when your best today isn’t your best from ten years ago.A few takeaways:The clock can be a tool, or a trap (especially for lifelong competitors).Parkinson’s can change your access to “rocket fuel,” even when your grit is still there.Sometimes the hardest lift isn’t the barbell, but walking through the front door.Shift the metric: how hard you can go today matters more than how fast the clock says you went.Medical note: This podcast shares personal experience only. It is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals for medical decisions, including medications and training choices.

Some days you wake up and feel sharp. Other days, you can barely get through the warm-up. In this episode of Parkinson’s: An Athlete’s Journey, we talk about the real day-to-day variability of Parkinson’s, and how we keep training anyway.We get into what helps most (and what’s just “interesting”): the basics like training and sleep quality, plus recovery tools like foam rolling, massage guns, sauna, cold exposure, and the tradeoffs of time and energy. We also talk about things we’ve personally tried or considered, and why the best plan is usually the one you’ll actually do consistently.What we cover“Good day / bad day” check-in and why the gym can change the whole day Training environments: Parkinson’s community and being around serious athletes “Cardio fiesta” Zone 2: making long sessions mentally tolerable Sleep: broken nights, REM sleep behavior, and why sleep has the biggest payoff Personal experience with sleep supports (CBD/THC, magnesium, mouth taping, nasal strips) Recovery tools: foam roller, massage gun, hyperbaric naps Sauna vs cold plunge vs cold shower (benefit vs effort) Medical disclaimerThis episode reflects personal experience only and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals for decisions about medications, supplements, and treatment.

What did Parkinson's look like before we knew it was Parkinson's? In this first episode, Todd and Eric walk through the early signs they noticed, what the diagnostic process looked like, and the strange moment you leave an appointment with a folder of pamphlets and no real game plan. They talk about the athlete brain and how it helps you push through hard days, but also how Parkinson’s adds a hidden “energy tax” to everything: movement, speech, expression, and even showing up socially as your best self. What we coverEarly “canary in the coal mine” signs during training: fatigue, slower splits, feeling off Arm swing changes, a small tremor, and realizing it wasn’t just stress Bloodwork, neurology, and the dopamine transporter scan that led to diagnosis The mental hit of diagnosis (and the weird “I feel fine but now I’m not” effect) How losing exercise (injury + life chaos) can change everything fast Depression, isolation, and why community/support matters more than most people realize A lived-experience conversation about treatments and experimenting, without pretending there’s one answer Medical disclaimerThis episode reflects personal experience only and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals for decisions about medications, supplements, and treatment.

Parkinson’s changes everything.But if you’re an athlete (or you’ve got that athlete mindset), you don’t just stop: you adapt, get strategic, and keep training.In this short trailer, hosts Eric Von Froehlich (EVF Fitness, Row House) and Todd Vogt (Paralympic rower + coach) introduce Parkinson’s: An Athlete’s Journey, a podcast built for people navigating Parkinson’s in real time, with a focus on what actually helps in day-to-day life and training.What this podcast is about:Eric and Todd compare notes on the realities of living and performing with Parkinson’s, including:Training and performance adjustmentsRecovery strategiesSleep and energy managementSupplement and medication conversations (from lived experience, not medical advice)The everyday problem-solving required to keep moving well and living fullyWhat to expect:You’ll hear straight talk, practical strategies, and honest conversations, plus guests and experts who can help:Break down what matters mostChallenge assumptionsTranslate current research into usable, real-world takeawaysWho it’s for:Anyone living with Parkinson’s (and the people supporting them) who wants to stay strong, sharp, and functional, with an athlete’s mindset leading the way.Important note: This podcast may include personal experiences with treatments and medications, but it does not provide medical advice. Always talk with your healthcare team before making changes to your care.