This week, Grotto catches up with Sherri Bickley — a head coach at Rock Steady Boxing where she trains people with Parkinson's disease and their 'corner buddies.' "To see how pivotal the whole experience has been is amazing," she shares.
Video Transcript
Sherri Bickley: My name is Sherri Bickley. Rock Steady Boxing is a non-contact boxing-inspired fitness program. We are specific to people with Parkinson's disease. Our workouts are what we call forced intense exercise. That type activity that really gets you outside of your comfort zone is what is being proven to really help people with Parkinson's.
Sherri Bickley: Rock Steady invites all of our fighters to pick a corner man, or corner chick, to come with them to class, and some people really need that for safety. Those people can do class alongside their fighter. It really becomes its own unorthodox support system.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that affects movement.
Sherri: Coaching is my favorite part of it. I boxed for fun and for fitness for about seven years, but the coaching is really where you get to be with the people. I have one fighter who started with me whenever we first opened. In two years, she doesn't even look like she has Parkinson's at this point. To see how pivotal the whole program and the whole experience has been for her is amazing. Then there's also just those little things. Somebody who gets down on the ground with their grandchild for the first time in three years. Every day affords you something like that.
Sherri: If you're interested in more opportunities like the ones I've talked about today, please subscribe to Grotto Network.
