Get Excited & Move for Parkinson's
GEM -An Innovative Exercise Program for those with Parkinson's and Movement Disorders
Cardinal Rules of GEM: Everybody MOVES, Everybody TALKS, Everybody has FUN! Anyone can participate We are athletes, NOT patients!
Funded in Part by Chatham County's Blueprint Program and the City of Savannah's CPP grant.
Our GEM Staff
Michael Cohen
Michael Cohen is a native of Savannah, Georgia born to Howard and Carol Cohen. Michael made a name for himself in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, having won many National, Junior National, Senior, and Master Championships. Michael is a 3 time Olympian - one of the few in any sport to go as an athlete and a coach. He made the 1980 Olympic team and went on to be a member of the 2000 and 2004 Olympic teams as the head coach. In 1988, Michael founded Team Savannah. Under his direction, Team Savannah has dominated the sport of weightlifting for the last 20 years, producing many National, World, and even Olympic athletes.
2013-16 -Director of Strength and Conditioning National Wheelchair Basketball Association (who won double golds in Rio in 2016) 2016 -present -Founder and creator of GEM (Get Excited and Move), an innovative exercise program for those with Parkinson's and other movement disorders
Dr. Alice Gerber
In 1980, Marx Gerber, a well-known Savannah businessman, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. His wife, Dr. Alice Gerber, searched for services throughout the Savannah area, but found none. Community leaders joined forces with Alice and created the Savannah Parkinson Support Group (SPSG). In December 2015, Alice Gerber watched a television segment featuring an exercise program shown to slow the progression of the disease for people diagnosed with Parkinson Disease. SPSG contacted Michael Cohen, Olympian, Olympic and Paralympic coach, professor and executive director of Team Savannah. He created a new exercise program for those with Movement Disorders especially Parkinson's in order to meet a need in our community. This program has been featured in several news stories and was the top presenter in the World Parkinson's Congress. Armstrong University has been instrumental in program support and documentation of the program research.
Rebecca Heyward
Entrepreneur/Fitness Instructor/Level 1 USAW weightlifting coach/ Get Excited & MOVE Senior Fitness/Parkinson's Fitness/Movement Disorder Fitness Specialist
Instructional Assistant/Science Teacher/Physical Education Teacher
Instructional Assistant/Science Teacher/Physical Education Teacher
Hancock Day School Inc (Nov 2015 - Jul 2020)
Skills: Personal Training · Group Exercise · Fitness Instruction
Armstrong State University Master's degree, Sports Medicine
Instruction Skills: Personal Training · Group Exercise · Fitness Instruction
Bachelor's degree, Health Science Bachelor's degree, Health Science L
Licenses & certifications-Athletics and Fitness Association of America, AFFA Personal Fitness Trainer
Sheryl Cohen
CEO Parkinsons Support Group, Savannah, Director of GEM program, Executive Director at Team Savannah Weightlifting ' Anderson-Cohen Weightlifting Center.