Rock Steady Boxing at Bakke Athletics

09/08/2026

09/03/2026

🥊 ROCKSTEADY BOXING TEAM SPIRIT DAY!
Our fighters took on a variety of team challenges, worked incredibly hard—but most importantly, they worked together! They pushed each other, encouraged one another, and brought out the very best in their teammates. 💪🥊🙌

08/18/2026

It is with an extremely heavy heart that I share the devastating news that our beloved fighter, Mark Hayden—known to us as “Sparkplug”—passed away Friday.

Sparky was truly one of a kind. He was a man of few words, but somehow, he said it all with his smile and those unforgettable winks. He was a true fighter. He never gave up, always fought back, and showed up consistently, giving everything he had, whatever that looked like on any given day.

He was feisty but charming, and thankfully, he never lost his sense of humor. He kept us laughing, reminded us not to take life too seriously, and taught us to make the most of every moment.

At Rock Steady Boxing, we believe that no one should fight alone—we fight together. This has been an incredibly difficult couple of weeks for our community. We have lost two incredible fighters, and the weight of that loss is being felt deeply by all of us.

Sparky will be missed more than words can express. His smile, his winks, his humor, his determination, and his fighting spirit will stay with us.

We are all in this together. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or Coach Patti as we navigate, once again, a new normal without someone we love.

Rest easy, Sparky. You fought the good fight. ❤️🥊

Coach Kaylee
“The Guardian”

06/01/2026

The first photo is from the early months of our first RSB classes in 2016. Nine fighters, five corners and two volunteers. The other 3 photos are of our current two Monday/Wednesdays classes, and the third of our Tuesday/Thursday class. We have grown to approximately 125 fighters, 29 volunteers and many, many corners!! Thanks to everyone who has helped build this! Keep fighting!!!

05/12/2026

Tuesday/Thursday Crew celebrating 10 years of the RSB program here in Madison. Cheers to the next 10 years Patti Batt 😜🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊

05/11/2026

Today, we celebrate 10 incredible years of Rock Steady Boxing! What started with just 5 fighters has grown into a family of more than 135 strong. It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for every single person who has been part of this journey.

To our fighters — thank you for showing up with courage, determination, humor, and heart every day. You inspire all of us with the way you fight back against Parkinson’s.

To our corner people and volunteers — thank you for the encouragement, support, and care you give so freely. This program would not be what it is without you.

And a huge thank you to Kjersten Bakke/Bakke Athletics for believing in our mission and supporting our program throughout the years. We are so thankful to have a home where our fighters can grow stronger together.

I also want to recognize Coach Kaylee Fischer who has taken over our Tuesday/Thursday group and has not missed a beat. Her energy, creativity, dedication, and care for our fighters have made such a positive impact, and we are so lucky to have her as part of our Rock Steady family.

Being the coach of this amazing group of people has been one of the greatest honors of my life. The friendships, victories, laughter, and perseverance we’ve shared over the last 10 years mean more than I can say.

At Rock Steady Boxing, we believe that no one should fight alone — and for the last decade, that’s exactly what we’ve done: fought together.

Here’s to 10 years strong, and many more to come! 🥊❤️

05/10/2026

It is with a very heavy heart that I share the news that one of our beloved fighters, Rosie Hughes, affectionately known as "Shorty" passed away yesterday. Rosie was a longtime member of our RSB family. She was a little spitfire with an incredibly strong spirit, and she brought so much laughter and fun into every class. She may have been small in stature but she had a big presence. Her energy was contagious and her presence made our gym brighter every time she walked through the door. Rosie left an impression on all of us. RIP sweet Rosie.............

04/30/2026

As Parkinson's Awareness month comes to a close, we want to take a moment to reflect on just how special this community truly is. All month long we've had the honor of highlighting the incredible individuals who make up our program through portraits of our fighters-their strength, determination, and spirit which drive all we do. But none of this would be possible without the people who stand behind and beside them every single day. We are so incredibly thankful for Bakke Athletics, our fighters, our corners and our volunteers. Each of you plays a vital role in making this program what it is. Today we are sharing photos of our volunteers. While everyone is not pictured, please know our gratitude extends to all of you. Thank you for your time, energy and heart.
(photos courtesy of David Giroux.)

04/30/2026

In honor of Parkinson's Disease Awareness month we have been featuring portraits of our boxers. Today's featured fighter is David Giroux, aka, the Grand Poobah of Pugelism. Not only is David a dedicated member of our RSB family, he also shared his incredible talent behind the camera to capture beautiful shots of our fighters. His photos highlight the strength and the spirit of this amazing group. We are so grateful for the time, care and creativity he put into each shot. Thank you David!
(photo courtesy of David Giroux.)