ICYMI: East Northport Boxing Gym Makes Online Special Needs Class

EAST NORTHPORT, NY — Since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered Long Island gyms in March, owners of independent and boutique gyms were left scrambling for ways to keep business going and stay busy. Edwin Rivera owns New York Fitness and Boxing (NYFB) in East Northport and he saw the forced closure as a chance to address a question his daughter Alexia, who has Down's Syndrome, asked him two years ago: "Two years ago she wanted to know why there were no classes for people like her."

The question stuck with Rivera and when COVID-19 hit he had time to come up with an answer. He developed a new online class held over Zoom for those with disabilities and special needs called The BoxFitness Experience.

NYFB opened in 2014 and trains clients with boxing-inspired workouts. The gym offers group classes, private training and self defense instruction. Like many small gyms across Long Island the COVID-19 crisis has been a major struggle for the gym.

Click here to read the full story by Patch's Jacqueline Sweet.