Meet Sarah Stockwell | Owner and Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Stockwell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
There are more than 1,000,000 people in the US living with Parkinson’s Disease currently. Rock Steady Boxing Phoenix (and affiliates worldwide) are helping some of those people, as well as their families and friends, live a better quality of life through exercise, friendship, and community.

In addition to helping those directly affected by the disease, Rock Steady Boxing Phoenix is kept running by volunteers and donors from all around the country. Bringing in teens, retirees, physical therapy and neurology students, and more helps to spread awareness of the disease and allows an outlet for those groups to provide service to a community in need. Anyone who participates walks away with a new understanding of the lives of those living with an incurable disease, and typically a refreshed view of what really is important in this life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
A lot of people don’t get to wake up and do exactly what they always wanted to do, but I do!! I feel proud that I can show my daughter how to live a life of servant leadership, and that I can help people find a glimpse of hope in an otherwise hopeless situation.

My profession was never one that I planned, but turns out is an accumulation of everything I had learned along the way. I studied Elementary & Special Education at ASU, and have worked as a nanny for years, and I use skills learned daily in teaching my class and working with the Parkinson’s community. While formerly going through the process of losing 100+ pounds, I became a certified group fitness instructor, which worked out perfectly when becoming Rock Steady certified, as well as working with an amazing coach (Curtiss Hoekstra at Rock Star Bootcamp) where I learned how to keep class interesting and fine-time workouts for all ages and abilities.

I have been exceptionally lucky to have everything line up just right for Rock Steady Boxing Phoenix to exist and thrive! It has been a calling, not a job, and I believe that’s why it is successful.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Fun! If I were to take my bestie around for a week in the Valley, we would have to start at Tacos Calafia for the best tacos in town. Once that’s out of the way, we would venture to the Stairs at Verrado to get a glimpse of our area from above, and hit up HillBilly Grind for a coffee and watch the jets overhead at Luke AFB. Wildlife World Zoo, MadHouse Rage Room in Surprise, and a trip out to McDonald Ranch for a sunset horseback ride would all be on our agenda for the week! As my guest, we would have to stop in for a class at Core Body Pilates and get some boxing in at Rock Steady to work off our yummy Hawaiian Ribeyes from Houston’s. Climbing Papago Peaks, getting our makeup done by Julie B. at MAC Fashion Square, and finishing with a staycation at The Phoenician would be my idea of a great week here in Phoenix.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Rock Steady Boxing Phoenix would not exist without Georgia & Brad Stockwell, my parents. When Mom was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s Disease, Dad promised that he would take care of her. Accepting early retirement, sending me to training, and dropping everything to open Rock Steady became part of the plan. And Mom, in her pink boxing gloves, became Rock Steady Boxing Phoenix’s first “Fighter.”

Since opening in 2017, we have been able to serve over 200 Valley people with Parkinson’s, thanks to Georgia & Brad.

A huge shoutout also must go to my 11 year old daughter, Sadie Jane, who spent the first couple years at gym with me everyday, and has always pushed me to do more, learn more, and shown me how to bring fun to my classes!

Website: www.RockSteadyBoxingPhoenix.com

Instagram: @rocksteadyboxingphoenix

Facebook: Facebook.com/rocksteadyboxingphoenix