Real boxing gyms in miami4/9/2023 I can never find t he words to thank all of you enough, and so by the powers vested in me…by me, I officially designate you The Rock Steady Boxing Dream Team. And then there is Coach Joe who refers to himself as the silent partner, who is the one who works behind the scenes to keep it all afloat. Steve, with his gentle yet firm encouragement (just when you think you’re gonna die, he yells, “thirty more seconds!”), humble strength and patience, and constant messages (“I like what I’m seeing,” and “You guys are awesome”) pushes us beyond what we believe we are capable of.Ĭoach Gloria encourages and expertly trains us and truly personifies the shirt she wears that reads Strong is Beautiful, and Coach Dave’s unique humor and skilled training is priceless. Now this is what I’m talking about! I put on my gloves and I no longer feel like the incredible shrinking woman PD seems to be trying to make of me. I feel gritty, tough, very much alive and, to quote Coach Steve, “like one badass mo fo.” My next session is at Tropical Park where we meet and are warmly welcomed to a real deal boxing center. At the end of the class, we end with all hands atop Steve’s repeating a mantra of never giving up and not going down without a fight – and this manages to bring me to tears. We are supported and tended to lovingly by a committed team of our marvelous care partners along the sidelines. Class begins and we spend the next hour doing a variety of exercises aimed at addressing just about everything PD tampers with (which unfortunately, is just about everything) while we are laughing, straining and working up a serious sweat. I am welcomed by a participant who introduces me around. I walk over to the boxing gym, and there they all are…my peeps, folks like myself who have been inducted involuntarily into this PD tribe. I learn that this humble man is Steve Arintok, the owner/manager of all that surrounds me. He is warm, friendly, unassuming and seems sincerely interested in me. I show up and meet a man who is equally as friendly and welcoming. I call RSB Miami, and a young woman answers the phone and also answers all my questions in a patient, encouraging manner. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2009, so it sounds good. My dear husband shows me an article in the Miami Herald about a Rock Steady Boxing program in Miami. So it’s early January and we’re in the Florida Keys. "I No Longer Feel Like the Incredible Shrinking Woman"
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