Anna has always been active – the gym was her second home long before her Parkinson’s diagnosis. But when Anna was diagnosed in 2017, she knew one thing for certain: she had to keep active. Rather than slowing her down, her diagnosis reinforced her commitment to continue training.   

Exercise became non-negotiable for her. She knew that missing a workout could quickly increase her Parkinson’s symptoms, like stiffness and lack of energy. Pushing herself in the gym helped her feel sharper, more capable, and more in control of her body.  

Not long after her diagnosis, Anna decided to train for a bodybuilding competition. Yet, Parkinson’s meant she couldn’t always train the same way as others. There were days when lifting alone felt risky. There were times when she’d lose control of the bar during a bench press and would have to figure out how to get it off her chest by herself. Still, she kept showing up. She got on stage. And in her first year of competing, she won. 

In 2021, during the uncertainty of the pandemic, the gym where Anna trained closed and its owner left the country. Anna made a major life decision to buy the gym she’s always called home and is now one of the co-owners of Primal Athletics. She often says it doesn’t feel like going to work—it just feels like going to the gym, her second home 

This past October, Anna took on HYROX, a “circuit-style race consisting of 8 functional movement stations, with 1 kilometer of running before each”. Training was already intense, but this time life made it even harder when Anna’s husband was diagnosed with cancer and passed away just weeks before the race. 

Through Primal Athletics, Anna documented her inspiring HYROX journey to share a deeper story of perseverance and finding strength in the face of loss and uncertainty. The video follows her from training to race day, capturing moments of imbalance, mental fatigue, grief, and the constant self-talk that helped her refocus and push forward. 

Anna doesn’t frame strength as something inspirational or extraordinary, but as something practical. It’s training when it would be easier not to — and finishing what you start.  

Watch the video to hear Anna’s remarkable story in her own words and see how strength can take many forms. 

Watch the video