Rock Climbing for Parkinson's

It started with something small.

Vivek Puri, a successful businessman in Northern Virginia, noticed his arm wasn’t swinging naturally when he walked. Instead, it curled up against his chest, his wrist hovering awkwardly near his belt buckle. It looked strange, but it didn’t hurt. So he adjusted his posture and got on with his day.

He was 38 years old.

Soon after, his fingers began to stiffen. Typing became frustrating—his hands didn’t respond the way they used to. The problem got worse. A neurologist told him it was likely neuropathy, a nerve disorder. Physical therapy was prescribed, but after months of trying, nothing changed.

Then came the moment he’ll never forget.

“I remember saying, ‘By the way, I’ve noticed that when I walk, my right hamstring cramps up.’ The color just drained from his face.”

His doctor’s expression said it all. Something was seriously wrong. Within 24 hours, Puri had an urgent appointment at Georgetown University’s Movement Disorders Clinic—and, just like that, he had a diagnosis:

Parkinson’s disease.

Oh, and it was the day after his third child was born.

“It was surreal,” he says. One day, you’re welcoming a newborn into your life. The next, you’re told you have a progressive brain disease that no one knows how to stop.

Parkinson’s Isn’t Just a Disease. It’s an Invasion.

If you’ve never lived with it—or lived with someone who has—it’s hard to understand how deeply Parkinson’s rearranges a life.

It doesn’t come all at once. It sneaks in. One moment it’s a stiff arm, the next it’s frozen legs. Then it’s the pills—timed doses, on and off periods, trial and error. It affects how you move, how you sleep, how you talk. And, eventually, how you think.

But Puri didn’t surrender. He tried everything he could to slow the disease down. Exercise, physical therapy, new routines. Still, it was hard to find the right match—something that worked for his body and gave him a sense of control.

Then a doctor told him about someone who changed everything.

“I know a guy you need to talk to. He has Parkinson’s, but he rides bikes in the Rockies. He goes rock climbing. He’s done all kinds of stuff.”

From Diagnosis to Climbing Walls

That “guy” was Dr. Jonathan Lessin, a retired physician and fellow Parkinson’s patient who had transformed his diagnosis into a mission.

Lessin’s approach? Don’t retreat—climb.

He turned a climbing gym into a kind of experimental lab, where people with Parkinson’s could move their bodies in ways that were once thought impossible. And it wasn’t just about fitness. It was about proving the brain could still learn, still adapt, still fight back.

For Puri, it was a revelation. Here was someone who wasn’t defined by Parkinson’s. Someone who had figured out how to push back, not just physically—but mentally, emotionally, completely.

And that’s the truth most people don’t know until they live it: Parkinson’s changes everything—but with the right support, the right tools, and the right mindset, there’s still a life to be lived.

Why This Story Matters

You might not have Parkinson’s. Maybe your spouse does. Or a parent. Or a friend. Maybe you’re starting to notice changes in someone close to you, and you’re scared. That’s okay.

What matters is knowing that Parkinson’s isn’t just about tremors and medication. It’s about the entire human experience—movement, mood, memory, motivation—and the people who surround the person diagnosed.

And most of all, it’s about not giving up.

Because even on the darkest day—maybe especially then—someone out there is still climbing.

Watch more on CBS Sunday Morning: cbsnews.com