Minimum Equipment Maximum Return |
Presenter: Jojo McDuffie |
Presenter Bio: Jojo McDuffie is the Director of Corporate Affiliate Partnerships for Rock Steady Boxing INC and a former affiliate Head Coach at Rock Steady Boxing Charlottesville. With nearly two decades of experience in strength and conditioning, functional movement, wellness leadership, and Parkinson’s disease exercise programming, Jojo specializes in helping coaches create practical, engaging, and adaptable movement experiences for people living with Parkinson’s disease. Jojo is also a Ph.D candidate in Health Sciences whose research focuses on the lived experiences of individuals with Young-Onset Parkinson’s Disease, with particular interest in identity, quality of life, and role disruption in adulthood. |
Breakout Description: Effective exercise doesn't require expensive equipment. Learn how bodyweight training and intentional class design can create adaptable programming using minimal equipment with maximum return on movement and participation. |
Boxing in Pairs: Unlocking the Power of Partner Work |
Presenter: Michelle Del Giorno |
Presenter Bio: MDG is the owner/head coach/instructor at Epic Martial Arts in Sag Harbor New York, home of Rock Steady Boxing Sag Harbor. She is a former National and International Sport Karate Fighting Champion. MDG is a 35 + year veteran of teaching the fighting arts. In January of 2023 she was inducted into the Women's Martial Art's Hall of Fame. Over 150 PWP's are fighting back weekly in MDG's Rock Steady Boxing programs. RSB has been the most fulfilling aspect of her long career. Presenting at Coach Con is always the highlight of her year and she is looking forward to Myrtle Beach 2024! |
Breakout Description: This lab will focus on fun, interactive and easy to learn partner drills. Coaches will sharpen their tools for drills designed to challenge our fighters' footwork, offense/defense, and functional fitness. |
PD+ |
Presenter: Dakota Schumacher |
Presenter Bio: Dr. Dakota Schumacher is a highly skilled Movement Disorder Specialist and General Neurologist at the Texas Institute for Neurological Disorders (TIND). Dr. Schumacher is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is fellowship-trained as a Movement Disorder Specialist from Vanderbilt Medical Center. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston and completed his Neurology residency at Vanderbilt Medical Center, where he was also elected academic Chief Resident. He provides comprehensive diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of neurological conditions. |
Technology & Tools to Improve Boxers' Communication |
Presenter: Alexandria Russell |
Presenter Bio: Alexandria Wynter Russell, MS, CCC-SLP, is Sr. Consumer Education Specialist at Lingraphica. She has over a decade of experience working with adults with neurological conditions. |
Additional Presenter: Allie Reed |
Additional Presenter Bio: Allie Reed, MS, CCC-SLP, PhD candidate, is Sr. Online Communities Manager at Lingraphica. |
Breakout Description: Discover gym-friendly communication strategies and assistive auditory communication tools for Parkinson’s, plus receive hands-on practice customizing devices and choosing accessories to better support boxers’ confidence and participation. |
Moving with Purpose: Exercise Strategies that Support Everyday Function |
Presenter: Cindi Day |
Presenter Bio: As a Clinical Exercise Program Coordinator for the MUSC Wellness Center, Cindi coordinates and designs programs that are tailored toward specific clinical populations. Her credentials include: Associates in Science with concentration on Fitness, ACE Certified Personal Trainer with 7 years of experience working with aging and clinical populations that include Breast and Prostate Cancer survivors, Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis, individual's diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease & 7 years of experience working as Head Coach for MUSC Wellness Center's Rocksteady Boxing. |
Breakout Description: Learn how to adapt exercises to better mimic functional movements and activities of daily living, improving carryover to real-world tasks, independence, mobility, and overall quality of life. |
From Overwhelming to Optimized: Building Capacity When Resources are Limited |
Presenters: Gabby Richardson |
Presenter Bio: Gabriella Richardson is an organizational leadership consultant, executive coach, and facilitator who helps leaders strengthen communication, build resilient teams, and create sustainable systems that maximize both people and performance. With a background in neuroscience and organizational leadership, she combines evidence-based strategies with practical, real-world tools that leaders can immediately apply. Passionate about helping purpose-driven organizations thrive, Gabriella specializes in equipping leaders to navigate challenges with greater clarity, resilience, and confidence. Her engaging, interactive workshops leave participants inspired and equipped with actionable strategies they can use to increase their impact without increasing burnout. |
Breakout Description: Most leaders don't need more hours in the day—they need better ways to use the ones they have. Through practical exercises and proven leadership tools, participants will learn how to restore energy, overcome the feeling of being stuck, and increase both personal and organizational capacity while leading with confidence. |
Cued to Move: Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation in PD |
Presenter: Kirsten Smayda |
Presenter Bio: Kirsten Smayda, Ph.D., is a translational scientist specializing in aging, cognition, and the neuroscience of music-based interventions. She earned her doctorate in Psychology with a concentration in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin, where her NIH-funded dissertation investigated how music training enhances speech perception in older adults — work that yielded multiple peer-reviewed publications and demonstrated music learning as a viable cognitive training tool across the lifespan. Her academic research, spanning dual systems of speech category learning, decision-making in aging, and cortical tracking of speech in noise, established a strong foundation in the mechanisms by which auditory and cognitive processes change with age. She has since translated that scientific expertise into industry impact, first at Pear Therapeutics and now as Senior Scientist and Medical Science Liaison at MedRhythms, where she develops the scientific framework for music-based digital therapeutics, engages KOLs in neurorehabilitation and aging-adjacent fields, and communicates complex evidence to clinical, payer, and academic audiences. |
Breakout Description: This presentation will provide an overview of rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS), an evidence-based intervention for addressing walking in people PD. Considerations for using RAS during RSB workouts and recent translations for home-use will be discussed. |
Train the Brain: Designing Stations that Challenge Mind and Body |
Presenter: Traci Aday |
Presenter Bio: Traci has been a Head Coach at Parkinson's Dynamics for the past 6 years. She is also a Neurologic Certified LPTA at the Parkinson's Care Clinic. She holds certifications in RSB, Stick Mobility, PWR! Moves, Urban Poling, PARTE, and LSVT Big. |
Breakout Description: Dual-tasking is a key ingredient in the Rock Steady Method. In this session, we'll discuss how to design fun and engaging cognitive drills with the 'just right" challenge for all boxer abilities. |
Fighting Through the Ups & Downs of BP in PD |
Presenter: Jill Farmer |
Presenter Bio: Dr. Jill Farmer is a nationally recognized neurologist and movement disorder and lifestyle medicine specialist. She completed her residency and fellowship at Georgetown University and medical school & masters through the University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ. During her decade in practice she has helped over 1500 patients with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders. She has participated in multiple clinical trials and has published numerous articles and book chapters on Parkinson’s Disease. She has been invited faculty and presented at regional, national and international conferences on movement disorders. She works closely with industry partners as a Key Opinion Leader and consultant. Locally she has invested in collaborative relationships with other health care providers to develop a multidisciplinary team without walls. This has lead her to start her own practice and focus on patient education and wellness as well as the latest medical treatments and surgical interventions for her patients to provide the utmost in empowering and comprehensive care. |
Breakout Description: Autonomic dysfunction is part of the non motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. We will discuss red flags and diagnosis of orthostatic hypotension, how it might impact our boxers and current medical and practical management of OH. |
Recognize & Refer: Connecting Voice and Swallowing Changes in PD Through boxing and SLP Partnership |
Presenter: Michelle Haub |
Presenter Bio: Michelle earned her Bachelors & Masters degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. She has worked with individuals across the lifespan with speech, language, hearing, swallowing, voice, and memory deficits for 31 years in Kansas & Arkansas. After working across different settings, ages and spectrums of disabilities, she transitioned to specializing in older adults and those with neurological changes. She has focused her career here for the last 24 years. Michelle’s level of knowledge and hands-on, functional educational training has allowed her to present for numerous local, state, and national entities including the Parkinson’s Foundation and University of Kansas Health System - Parkinson’s & Movement Disorder Center. She is certified as a Rock Steady Boxing coach and an LSVT LOUD Clinician. Michelle is a past President and recipient of the award ‘Honors of the Association’ for the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (KSHA). |
Breakout Description: Up to 90% of individuals with PD will experience changes in speech and voice over the course of the disease. This session will help coaches identify potential signs of changes in these systems, implement practical strategies to support respiration, voice, and swallow and appropriately refer boxers to a Speech Language Pathologist. |
Fighting While Freezing: Cueing for Freezing of Gait |
Presenter: Patty Wessels |
Presenter Bio: Patty Wessels, PT graduated from Oakland University with her Master's of Physical Therapy in 2004 then went on to complete a postgraduate specialty certification in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy in 2008. While she started her career working in outpatient orthopedics treating spine pain, joint dysfunction and post surgical rehabilitation, her interests shifted and now most of her patients are people with Parkinson's Disease. She works not only to address their PD motor symptoms, but also treats their musculoskeletal conditions so that they can better tolerate the vigorous exercise needed to slow the progression of the disease. In 2017 she attended Rock Steady Boxing’s Coaches Training Camp, and got certified in both PWR!Moves and LSVT BIG. Patty currently teaches seven boxing classes per week and utilizes PWR!Moves on a daily basis in the boxing gym and in the clinical setting. Additional certifications include LSVT BIG for Life, Delay the Disease, Pound, TRX, and STOTT Pilates. |
Breakout Description: This session will focus on helping coaches better program stations for boxers who struggle with freezing of gait (FOG) |
Beyond the Basics: Transforming Boxing and Kickboxing for Your Boxers |
Presenter: Randy Ballard |
Presenter Bio: Randy has a 5th Degree Black Belt and is a former State Kickboxing Champion and trainer of 3 World Champion Kickboxers. |
Session Description: During this presentation, we will learn in a "hands on" environment. Prepare to throw punches, kicks, elbows and knees. |
Saddle Up for Success: Practical Tools to Help Your Affiliate Program Stand Out and Grow |
Presenter: Rachel Ferry |
Brain & Body Check: Tips & Tools for Cognitive Screening in PD |
Presenter: Connie Fiems |
Presenter Bio: Dr. Fiems has a B.S. in Exercise Science, an M.S. in Physical Therapy, and a DHSc in Health Science. She is also a board-certified neurologic clinical specialist in physical therapy and a certified exercise expert for aging adults. Before her current role at Rock Steady, she was an Associate Professor at the University of Indianapolis Krannert School of Physical Therapy for 7 years and has been a practicing clinician for more than 30 years. |
Presenter Bio: This session will address how to gather information about a boxer's cognitive function through formal and informal screening tools and, use that information to safely place their boxer in the correct class and maximize class participation. |
Keep It Fresh: Elevate Your Coaching Through Purposeful Variety, Strong Leadership, and Boxing Fundamentals |
Presenter: Freddy Silva |
Presenter Bio: Freddy Silva is the Executive Director and Founder of Peninsula Parkinson's Place and has led Rock Steady Boxing Peninsula for over 13 years. Before bringing his skills to the Parkinson's community, Freddy trained under former world title contender Eddie Croft and served as assistant trainer to WBO world champion Melissa McMorrow. A certified addiction treatment counselor and former youth counselor at San Mateo County Juvenile Hall, Freddy brings a deep commitment to community service to everything he does. His work with Rock Steady Boxing grew into a vision for something bigger — a dedicated place where people with Parkinson's could access a full range of services and community support. Freddy is supported by his wife Gina and two college-age stepchildren. |
Presenter Bio: Keep It Fresh teaches Rock Steady Boxing trainers to elevate coaching through purposeful variety, strong leadership, and boxing fundamentals—creating sustainable programs that inspire participants, develop trainers, and slow Parkinson's progression. |
Beyond Movement: How Nutrition and the Gut Microbiome Support Parkinson's Health |
Presenter: Beth Statkus |
Presenter Bio: Beth is currently the Co Founder & CEO of Sorridi Therapeutics, a science based start up who believes in empowering people to fix the root cause of their disease rather than simply treating the symptoms. Sorridi’s mission is to Slow Neurodegeneration and Enhance Lives - Through the Power of the Microbiome. Prior to starting Sorridi, Beth served as the Sr. Director of New Business Development for Mars-Wrigley where she launched Health & Wellness innovations into the US, EU and China. Over her 20+ year career in Research & Development, Beth held various leadership positions within the Science and Technology Team & Global Brand Teams where she enjoyed translating the science into tangible business opportunities. Early in her R&D career Beth worked for Kraft Foods developing Creme Savers Yogurt and DiGiorno Frozen Beth holds a Food Science degree from Cornell University and an MBA from Outside of the office, you’ll most often see Beth and her husband sitting on a sports field cheering on her two high school children. |
Presenter Bio: This session will address the gut–brain connection and the gut microbiome of people with PD. We will explore key dietary approaches, the role of fiber, and practical nutrition strategies to support boxers. |