SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Boxing is a physical and high contact sport. However, a Spokane Valley gym is changing what it means to be boxer.
Legacy Boxing Club has a new set of classes for the public. The gym is offering boxing to people with illnesses like Parkinson’s disease.
A man named Rick Roig has been boxing every week for almost two years. He says it’s “highly addictive.” He has has been going to the classes for almost two years, and says that it has helped his Parkinson's progress more slowly.
"Getting in the ring - as it is with anybody here - it's the time when you can simulate boxing the best we can with our condition," Roig said. "You play the hand you were dealt and you do the best you can. That's the direction I chose to go."
Trevor Arrotta is a coach for Legacy Boxing Club. He says everyone who consistently comes to their class sees improvement or slowing of symptoms.
"I've seen a lot of people come out of their shells in a way. You know, sometimes they start off a little off-balance or a little rigid when they first come in here. Now they're cracking jokes having a good time, hitting real hard and looking like legitimate boxers,” said Arrotta.
The classes are non-contact, and focus on the motor skills of each exercise. The classes are on Mondays and Thursdays.