The 2022 Murph Challenge Day 30: Roberta Niver

Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 44 and being a single mom of three young boys is quite a challenge. Today’s dedication exemplifies perseverance as 19 years later she’s still going strong.

Roberta is fighter. I met her two years ago when she stepped into our boxing club and joined our Knockout Parkinson’s Program. She started with punching just the air and had a hard time making it through classes. True to the fighter she is, she stuck to it and is now completing the entire class hitting the bag and she even has the energy to enjoy coffee with her friends from class afterward.

When asked about her fighting spirit, she goes back to her three boys who are all in their 20’s-30’s now and are her caregivers. “My sons are my fighting spirit. When I get down they bring me up. I don’t know where I’d be without them. They are the wind beneath my wings,” says Roberta.

She has many takeaways from her journey and battle over the years but what stood out is a message and reminder for each of us. “Family, people, and relationships are what life is all about. Be kind to people. You never know what someone is going through or dealing with.”

She adds this about her growing in her battle, “I used to hide my Parkinson’s for many years by sitting on my hands or fidgeting and moving my legs, but the muscles on my Parkinson side have become very tight and painful. Now I tell people I have Parkinson’s if I start to shake, have dyskinesia, or walk differently. The more people know what Parkinson’s is all about, the more ways we can get support to find a way to stop it by finding a cure.”

Every Day We Fight is honored to dedicate Day 30 of 32 to an inspiring mom, friend, and fighter. A woman that never gives up, Roberta Niver.
Team Murph: 25:25

When I did the Murph Challenge for the first time I became hooked. Not because it was fun but because it was painful, challenging, and meaningful.

These 31 challenges are a dedication to a fighter, a warrior, a person battling that’s an everyday hero.

– Tate Wheeler

“The Murph Challenge is more than just a workout. It is a tradition that helps push us, humble us, and allows us the opportunity to dedicate a bit of pain and sweat to honor, LT. Michael P. Murphy, a man who sacrificed everything he had for our freedom.”

-Murph Website

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