Rock Steady Boxing

My Dad boxes three times a week with Rock Steady Boxing at the Border City Boxing Club in Windsor. When I was down for a visit a few weeks back I attended his Saturday class and captured some moments. This amazing program gives people with Parkinson’s disease hope by improving their quality of life through a boxing-focused fitness curriculum.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative movement disorder which causes deterioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function. Watching my Dad experience the symptoms of this terrible disease has been difficult — especially the lack of energy — but I was amazed at his (and everyone else’s) motivation through the workout! I got tired just watching them. I feel incredibly grateful to the coaches of this amazing program.

Speed bag
Trying to avoid getting tapped on the shoulder
Dad hitting the heavy bag
Taking a break
Sparring in the ring
Respect your club
Post-class cheer

Rock Steady Boxing initially began through the friendship of two men, Scott Newman and Vince Perez, after Scott had been diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s at the age of 40. Refusing to let his friend go down without a fight, Vince turned to his experience as a Golden Gloves boxer to design a program that attacks Parkinson’s at its vulnerable neurological points. His intuitive insight is now proven to have merit through an increasing body of medical research.