Exercise keeps Angels Camp woman fighting
By Kate Gonzales
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Posted: Wednesday, April 2, 2008 12:43 PM CDT

Taking a break from a workout at Curves in Angels Camp are, from left, Mollie Beam, Donna Young, Kathleen Schoennauer and Colleen O'Connell. Enterprise photo by Kate Gonzales.

Some battles are worth fighting, and an Angels Camp woman is using Curves as her weapon.

Kathleen Schoennauer was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in April 2006.

Commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS, the disease is caused by deterioration of the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement. Often fatal, the disease usually affects the bottom of the body first by degenerating the legs, and then works its way up the body.

“It's like the nerves go to sleep and (are) numb,” said Mollie Beam, Schoennauer's sister.

Schoennauer's ALS started in the middle region of her brain and, after about two years, it is just starting to affect her throat muscles and the bottom of her body.

“(The disease) may have done the deal in the legs, but Curves has helped that,” Beam said.

Schoennauer joined Curves, a physical fitness program for women, in Angels Camp in September 2004, and likes “the great people, the camaraderie and it keeps me trim.”

“It's kind of a mind, body, physical, emotional and spiritual experience,” Beam added.

After diagnosis, Schoennauer's doctor, Donald Van Fossan, said he did not know if she could continue working out at Curves.


But Schoennauer was determined.

“She never took a break,” Beam said. “She kept coming and coming.”

Now when Schoennauer sees the doctor, he cannot believe how strong her legs are, Beam said.


Beam works out with Schoennauer and sometimes takes her to doctor appointments.

Though she goes to Curves about four times a week, the disease is beginning to take a serious toll on Schoennauer's body, Beam said. Her left side is deteriorating first, and her ankles are starting to weaken.

Donna Young, an employee at Curves, has worked with Schoennauer for two years, and said it's hard to see her health decline.
“When you see her strong in the beginning, it's very hard,” Young said.

But nobody is giving up this fight.

“She's been doing an excellent job fighting it tooth and nail,” she added. “She's our hero.”


First she will have trouble walking and have to be put in a wheelchair, Beam said. Then she will need oxygen because the muscles won't be working, and finally she will be immobile.

In 2007, Schoennauer received a feeding tube because her tongue and throat muscles were fading, which has impaired her speech.

Every week, Schoennauer sends out a mass e-mail she's named “Thursdays with Kathleen” to keep in touch with family and friends.


The e-mail was inspired by the book “Tuesdays with Morrie,” which is about a man dying of ALS.

Despite a growing weakness in her body, Schoennauer will continue to exercise at Curves as the disease progresses.

“We will continue to work with her ... when she moves onto a walker,” said Colleen O'Connell, who owned Curves. “We can't be a rehabilitation center for everybody, but we do work with special needs,” she added.
Women with osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer, weigh issues, arthritis, depression and who are going through heart rehabilitation have also benefited from exercising at Curves.

“Curves makes you feel good about yourself,” Beam said, “and we meet babes who want to do the same thing.”

“The women love her and she loves to be here,” Young said. "Everybody wants the best for Kathleen.


“We're Curves women, plain and simple; we're always communicating.”

Contact Kate Gonzales at kate@calaverasenterprise.com.

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