I'm here now with Karina Saladino who is
the executive director of grande living
at Tamiya and today she is brought along
with her a friend who has a business
that's an intricate part of what they're
going to be doing at Tamiya the name of
your business is rock steady boxing and
you are Kristin gray so welcome to the
show ladies it's great to have you tell
us a little bit about for those who may
not know what grande living in Tamiya is
grand living it to my as a luxurious
senior living community located between
the city and the sea so we are on Beach
Boulevard just east of Kernan and we'll
be opening this spring we're an
independent living assisted living and
memory care community okay and you guys
really are centrally located when you
say between the city and the sea it
really is and it's located like you say
right between Kernan and Hodges so you
can't miss it it's a beautiful beautiful
structure with with many units available
for anybody wanting to move in and what
are you doing we've got all these boxy
gloves up here and tell us how all this
is being integrated into your business
sure so I invited Kristen to join me
today Kristen is the founder of
Rocksteady boxing um and Kristen herself
has Parkinson's disease Graham living
has a Parkinson's program and we're very
proud to be able to partner with Kristen
and bring awareness to the community
about the disease but also support each
other and for people that have
Parkinson's in our community okay so you
yourself have Parkinson disease and we
can see you know the tremor and she says
I'm gonna be embarrassed I said don't be
embarrassed be yourself and and
everybody at home understands so I'm
just thankful that you can tell us about
it you were diagnosed tell us your
personal story when were you first
diagnosed with Parkinson's but I had
just turned 43 years old okay so I just
turned 43 I was working full-time as a
speech pathologist had two young
children married living busy life and
the twitch started my concern and I went
to the neurologist and one after another
I got the same diagnosis so that started
the journey mm-hmm so this has been a
long journey for you and and then
getting into Rocksteady boxing this is
your own company what's the connection
we're one of over 800 affiliates
actually worldwide
so we're Rocksteady boxing Jacksonville
serving the Jacksonville community I was
a speech therapist like I said for about
20 years and knew that there had to be
something that I could do to help fight
back against this disease Parkinson's is
a grim diagnosis it's progressive
there's no cure you're supposed to get
worse every day what they found is is
that enforced intense exercise actually
combats the daily symptoms and can
actually delay the level of disability
okay so so that's so that's how you got
you trying to combat your own physical
illness and then being able to help
others that that have that same
diagnosis and that's where this all
comes in to tamiya at Grand living
because you are a Senior Center that's
like you say going to be opening up and
they have an amazing gym and they have
an amazing restaurant and this place is
absolutely gorgeous as we're looking at
the pictures we can see so how are you
going to integrate her program into your
into your community sure so grand living
at tamiya we have a very specified
Parkinson's program that we not only
allow our residents participate with us
but also partnering with Rocksteady
boxing for boxing for Parkinson's
disease we're able to give them an extra
step in their in their care and make
sure that they're continuously moving as
much as possible to keep the disease
from thoroughly progressing so when
they're in our community they'll be
working one-on-one or in group fitness
classes for people who have been
diagnosed with Parkinson's or they'll
have the opportunity to visit with
Kristen at Rocksteady boxing and take
her classes as well and then in addition
we also want to bring awareness to the
community and support the community
that's in our Jacksonville area for
those people who have been diagnosed
with Parkinson's to know that there are
opportunities to be able to get
additional exercise and people that can
support them on their journey as well
you know it was shocking when when you
said you were in your you know people I
guess they're still in my mind you think
of Parkinson's as an older person's
disease but we know with Michael J Fox
that he experienced symptoms early and
in thought you know the hand tremor
before coming out and in publicly with
his with his illness and disease and in
your case in your early 40s getting that
same diagnosis now what you say is that
the exercise helps combat and fight off
kind of slowed down the progressive
symptoms of the disease is that because
you know I guess when you're physically
exercising you're releasing you know the
endorphins the serotonin and dopamine in
the brain is that have is that how it
works I mean your understanding at this
so it's I think that they're still
trying to understand exactly what's
going on in the brain they don't know I
don't think exactly what it's doing to
affect the disease process what's going
on but what they know is is that the
outcomes are is that people are more
able the more that they exercise they're
less disabled and we've seen amazing
fighters in our program who took two
people to get down on the floor and two
people to stand up and after maybe six
months of really working out and
exercising they're doing it
independently again a wonderful or for
the first time they're putting their
shirt on by themselves again because
they can now raise their arms up over
their head for me personally I know I
got a physical therapy evaluation and
she compared it to two years prior to me
doing exercise I did better
she said you're going the wrong way she
said yes must be getting worse you're
doing better you're stronger than you
were two years ago okay so it's changing
the known path of this disease and it's
forced intense exercise meaning we push
ourselves and our coaches push us to
keep going even when we're worn out and
that's where it counts that's what
matters that's amazing all right now as
we said you know grant living and tamiya
the community is not yet open but you do
have an information center that is
located oh maybe a mile and a half down
Beach Boulevard it'll be on I want to
say its direction so just before you get
to Hodges or in Hodges station okay and
it's on it's on the north side there
across from across from that Walmart
there so that that information center is
where you can go and get in you know
what you need to know about about the
about your community but also that's
where you're gonna be giving a
demonstrate is yes so I'm super excited
to do that to share a little bit we can
put some gloves and myths on and have
people try it out it just sometimes it
feels good just get a little bit of that
frustration out too yeah hello I know
that is me can you tell us but no I'd
like to you know just good for everybody
yeah exercise working it off and getting
rid of the stress levels we are actually
inviting the community to come in
tomorrow at noon all right I'm vacancy
Kristin's presentation they can learn a
little bit more about grand living at
tamiya as well and even our parkinson's
program and what we do and how we're
gonna be partnering together in the
community to help support them okay so
so folks can come out to your facility
to your community to this actually the
information is the patient center and
that is right on Beach Boulevard across
from us it's on the north side of beach
between kernan and hodges and at noon
tomorrow first at noon okay stay so if
they like directions on how to get there
or more information they're welcome to
call us at four one zero 8500 visit our
facebook page or visit us online all of
the information is available I love it
alright thank you both for coming out
and a message to both of you that's
above what you're doing I think it's
fantastic that you so much appreciate
the opportunity
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