Surrounded by speed bags, mirrors and posters of professional athletes in the back of a Melbourne community gym comes the cry: "What do we do?"
"Fight Parkinson's!" shouts the crowd three times.
Twenty people, many donning shirts emblazoned with names like "Sparkles", "Chris Cross" and "The Giant" have just finished an hour-long session.
Daryl "Dazza" Kennedy has been hitting the heavy bag and smiles when asked how it feels when he lands a good hit.
"It's always exhilarating to know you've done something properly, and you can feel that," he said.
"You feel [like], yeah, I can still do it. I don't have to accept this disease. I can do something about it."
From a twitch to a diagnosis
The 66-year-old was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, a year after he retired.
It was a body-blow for the lifelong Telstra technical officer who had always been fit and healthy.
The father of two has run three Melbourne marathons and used to run 5 kilometres a day during his lunch breaks at Telstra.
"It was a bit of a shock," he said.
"I just had a twitch and when I was at the doctor for something else, I said, 'By the way', and he said, 'Oh, that's not good'."
Parkinson's affects about 150,000 Australians and on average 38 Australians a day are diagnosed with the disease.
There is no cure and for Mr Kennedy the symptoms have progressed.
"Sense of smell goes. My wife used to smell burnt toast and I couldn't smell it. That was an early sign I learnt later," he said.
"Balance. You're not as stable on your feet as you used to be. Stiffness in the limbs. Less power in my left arm.
"Simple things like fine motor skills, doing buttons on a shirt, those things become a lot harder.
"You have to be good admitting you can't do some things."
Combating disease with 'the sweet science'
But boxing is something Mr Kennedy can do.
That's despite the sport being known as "the sweet science", requiring balance, timing, rhythm and coordination, which are all skills Parkinson's effects.
Lead trainer Brooklynn Baker said that's why boxing helps.
It exercises the skills Parkinson's patients need to maintain for as long as possible.
"The boxing gives them empowerment over their bodies," Ms Baker said.
"When the symptoms come, they can feel out of control. The boxing gives them control again. It gives them confidence."
The program at the St Kilda PCYC gym is based off a 2006 US boxing program developed for people living with Parkinson's.
People with Parkinson's have been encouraged to exercise to stave off the effects and the members of this class also do other classes, such as yoga, tai chi and dance.
Ms Baker said she thinks there are only two places in Australia that run boxing classes for people living with Parkinson's.
Although there is a ring in the St Kilda gym Mr Kennedy attends, Ms Baker said there is no fighting or sparring, but plenty of bag, pad and footwork.
A 'never give up' attitude
Ms Baker said the impact is obvious in every session.
"They come in slouching, they're having a tough day or week, and when they leave, they are smiling, they are happy," she said.
There is also an emotional element.
Mr Kennedy said it's healing to be able to share an activity with others suffering with the disease.
"Everyone experiences Parkinson's differently," he said.
"This gives us a source of information, like bringing a library collection together and helping each other through that library."
Darryl said it gives him a sense of power and fuels a fighting spirit in his battle with the disease.
"Never give up," he said.
"This disease wants to take me. Well, it's going to have a fight."
