New Santee Boxing Program Helps People With Parkinson's Fight Back

SANTEE, CA — For Danielle Barrett, Rock Steady Boxing is about much more than throwing punches.

It is about making sure other families have access to a program she discovered too late for her mother.

Barrett, a certified Rock Steady Boxing head coach, watched her mother spend years struggling with a rare form of Parkinsonism before the disease left her bedridden. Around the same time, Barrett had turned to boxing herself, using the sport as an outlet while serving as her mother's caregiver.

Then she learned about Rock Steady Boxing, a program designed specifically for people with Parkinson's disease.

"I had heard about this program when it was too late for her," Barrett said about her mom. "I was actually already a boxing coach."

Now, Barrett is bringing the program to her own community.

Rock Steady Boxing launched in June at Wise Owl Fit in Santee, becoming the first Rock Steady Boxing affiliate in East County San Diego. The program gives people with Parkinson's access to specialized, boxing-inspired workouts without having to travel outside the region for classes.

The program adapts boxing techniques into a non-contact workout focused on movement, balance, strength, coordination and endurance. Participants work on combinations with heavy bags or mitts while also completing balance and strength exercises.

"Boxing is such a brain-body connection," Barrett said.

For Barrett, who lives in Santee, the opportunity is the culmination of a journey that began with caregiving, continued through boxing and eventually led her to Indianapolis for specialized Rock Steady Boxing training.

"I had started boxing to get some of my stress out as a caregiver for her and then heard about this program but she was already bedridden," she said.

Her mother had experienced symptoms for about four years before being diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration, a rare form of atypical Parkinsonism, Barrett said.

Barrett first heard about Rock Steady Boxing about five years ago through the boxing community. But at the time, the closest program she knew of in San Diego was about 30 minutes away.

That changed when she learned about Wise Owl Fit, a group fitness facility built exclusively for adults 55 and older. The Santee facility opened in March 2026. Its owner, Karl Burris, is a doctor of physical therapy, board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and Santee native.

A Natural Fit for Wise Owl Fit

Barrett connected with Burris, who was familiar with Rock Steady Boxing and saw how it could complement Wise Owl Fit's mission.

"I think it's just something that fits perfectly within his mission," Barrett said.

Once Burris opened Wise Owl Fit and worked to become a Rock Steady Boxing affiliate, Barrett traveled to the nonprofit organization's headquarters in Indianapolis for a three-day training program.

She learned about Parkinson's disease and the benefits of boxing program, worked on designing classes for different stages of the disease, and gained hands-on experience alongside exercise instructors, physical therapists, doctors and boxing coaches.

"I love it," Barrett said. "It's been a dream of mine to be involved. I never thought I would be involved at this capacity, but with Karl starting this, it kind of fell into my lap."

More Than Boxing

Rock Steady Boxing was founded in Indianapolis in 2006 after Scott Newman was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 40. What began with a small group of boxers has grown into an international network with more than 800 affiliate locations in every state and 14 countries worldwide, according to the organization's website.

At Wise Owl Fit, classes are intentionally kept small so participants receive hands-on coaching. Classes run twice a week, with plans to expand to four weekly sessions as the program grows. Care partners are welcome to participate as well.

By July, eight people had joined the program, Barrett said. Some had participated in Rock Steady Boxing elsewhere, while others learned about the Santee program through their doctors or social media.

One of the most powerful moments of Barrett's training came when she met a volunteer coach in Indianapolis who was in his early 70s and had been living with Parkinson's for 20 years.

"By looking at him, we would have never known he had a Parkinson's diagnosis for 20 years," she said.

He spoke about how the program had changed his life, both as a participant and as a volunteer coach.

The experience underscored an important message for Barrett: A Parkinson's diagnosis does not mean someone has to stop challenging themselves.

"When you hear of someone diagnosed with Parkinson's, or really any disease, a lot of times our brain goes to the fragility and we have to be careful with these members," Barrett said. "Of course we do, but they really can be athletes and can be challenged to incredible potential. You just need the right people in their corner fighting for them and supporting them."

Filling a Need in East County

Bringing Rock Steady Boxing to Santee is about giving people with Parkinson's a chance to find specialized support in their own community, Barrett said.

"It's really exciting because the seniors that we're serving, most of them with Parkinson's had heard of this program, but it's very challenging for them to make the drive outside of Santee or outside of East County on a regular basis," she said. "It's powerful to offer something so close."

"Everyone knows someone with Parkinson's," Barrett said, "so it really is needed in every community."

The program operates in a separate studio inside Wise Owl Fit, alongside the facility's other programming for older adults.

Barrett hopes to eventually bring in more coaches with boxing experience or experience working with seniors with Parkinson's and expand the number of classes.

"I would love for this just to take off and for us to be offering multiple classes every day because I truly think the demand is there," she said.

The program's arrival in Santee carries a significance that goes beyond fitness for Barrett.

"The seniors that we're serving here have been waiting for something like this in their area," she said.

Wise Owl Fit is located at 9225 Carlton Hills Blvd., Suite 28, Santee.