For more than a decade, Day One Fitness and its boxing program in Beech Island has helped adults with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
On June 29-30, Tambra Wilkerson, who started Day One Fitness, is seeing another idea to help that segment of the community come to fruition with the inaugural Neuro Retreat at the Columbia County Exhibition Center.
“The Neuro Retreat is something I’ve wanted to do for several years now, but it hasn’t been the right time, and we didn’t have the resources to make it happen,” said Wilkerson.
The two-day interactive event will feature more than 30 presenters with sessions topics including on Nordic pole walking, nutrition, fatigue and pain management and mental health
Wilkerson said this won’t be a lecture-filled two days, but people will be actively engaging and participating throughout.
“I think what I’m looking forward to the most is people gaining useful tips, useful things and strategies that will help to improve their daily lives,” she said.
Wilkerson said Day One clients as well as members of area support groups were surveyed to find out what subjects they’d be interested in learning about, and the retreat was developed from those surveys.
There will also be a segment of the program to show people what it’s like to live with these conditions to give people a better understanding. She said this is helpful for people who work with adults who have neurological conditions.
While the retreat is a new idea for the area, it’s not the only innovation Wilkerson has made. She started Day One after learning about the benefits of boxing for those with neurological conditions and discovering there was nothing else like it in the Augusta area.
Day One is a non-profit gym conducting more than 20 classes five days a week. The program is backed by years of scientific research.
Parkinson’s, for example, is a progressive disease that can cause stiffness in the body, slowing of movement and trouble with balance raising the risk of falls and injuries, according to the Mayo Clinic website.
The Parkinson’s Foundation website said boxing workouts with activities such as punching a speed bag and doing footwork and agility exercises provide a variety of benefits. Punching a speedbag helps to improve coordination and build muscle while the footwork helps improve balance.
All of those exercises are available at Day One. Wilkerson said she hopes to raise awareness about Day One’s programming as well.
Although the deadline for online signups has passed, Wilkerson said anyone interested in attending should call (803) 265-1699 because space may still be available.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named best local writer by readers of Augusta Magazine in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
