Team Members
Patty Wessels, PT
Head Coach Rock Steady Boxing Charm City
Founder & Executive Director of The PEP
Dedicated to Parkinson's care, Patty Wessels earned her Master's in Physical Therapy from Oakland University in 2004, followed by an advanced Orthopedic Manual certification in 2008. While her early career focused on general orthopedics and recovery after orthopedic surgeries, she discovered a profound passion for working with the PD community in 2017, when she started Rock Steady Boxing Charm City. Today, she combines her deep clinical knowledge with specialized neurological training to help patients with PD best manage their motor symptoms and musculoskeletal conditions in order help them be able to participate in the high-intensity exercise essential for slowing the disease progression. Inspired by the opening of the The Kirk Gibson Center in Metro Detroit (where she is from) and her experience volunteering with the therapists at The PWR!Gym in Tucson, AZ , she wanted to do more for her community in Baltimore. The Parkinson's Empowerment Place is her dream becoming a reality. A place where skilled care meets community fitness! A lifelong learner, Patty is certified to teach Stott Pilates, TRX, Pound, Rock Steady Boxing, PWR!Moves, LSVT Big, Big4Life, and currently is doing coursework in a myofascial release technique called Structural Integration.
Pilar Benassi
Rock Steady Boxing Coach
I have been a volunteer Coach with RSB Charm City since its inception in 2017. Head Coach for many years but I am currently Patty’s Assistant Coach or “Left-hand woman”!
I am a retired Preschool Special Needs Educator with a B. S. in Health/Physical Education and a M.Ed. in Special Education. My school experiences were filled with a multitude of athletic endeavors and accomplishments but one of my biggest enjoyments has been working with Patty to bring my energy and enthusiasm to our program. Our collaboration of minds brings a variety of challenging exercises that seem to leave all the boxers with a sense of accomplishment. Supporting Patty’s wealth of PD knowledge with my sense of classroom management and humor brings me smiles every day.
Carol Kunkel
Volunteer
As a volunteer at Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) for the past 4.5 years, I have assisted our boxers with exercises that strengthen them to live their best life with Parkinson’s Disease.
Previously, I graduated from St Joseph Hospital School of Nursing (Towson, MD) and worked as a clinical nurse for 46 years. My career began at St Joseph Hospital where I worked ICU/CCU, Post-op Cardiac Surgery Unit, PACU and Ambulatory Surgery Unit. Next, I worked Inpatient Hospice at Stella Maris followed by a Pre-op/Post-op position at Greater Chesapeake Orthopedics Surgery Center. Lastly, I worked as a Pre-op/ Post-op nurse at The Institute for Foot & Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center (Baltimore) for 15 years and then as a Pre-op nurse in the Bunting Center, at Mercy, until my retirement.
I am a wife, mother & grandmother who enjoys cooking/baking, entertaining, reading, gardening and travel.
I have been the self appointed baker of treats for our RSB team and that is a true pleasure for me!
Michelle Kerchner, MS, OTR/L, CSRS, LSVT BIG® Certified
As an occupational therapist, I believe true progress happens when therapeutic activity ceases to be a chore and becomes embedded into the fabric of daily life. When "doing" becomes "living," real transformation begins. I am honored to be part of the PEP community, where we turn barriers into access and shared participation into meaningful activity.
Growing up the youngest of five children, I learned early on how to be resourceful and adapt to any situation—traits that serve me daily as an OT. Originally from York, PA, I enlisted in the Army straight out of high school and spent 11 years as a soldier and a civilian before becoming a military spouse and a mother to two amazing boys. These experiences taught me that with adaptability and determination, no challenge is unachievable; it may just require a different plan.
After years of preparation, I earned my Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Towson University in 2022. Driven by the intersection of evidence-based practice and client centered activities, I am passionate about helping others "create a new normal." I am certified in LSVT BIG and recently became a Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist (CSRS). My goal is to empower my patients to take charge of their own journeys, see the beauty and possibility in the imperfect, and never let a diagnosis define them.