Editor,

Solid Stone Boxing is one of the most uplifting and empowering places I’ve experienced. Dakota and Lauren have created something extraordinary on this island. They lift people up. They challenge you to grow. They create a space where strength and compassion live side by side. The recent article about Dakota left me unsettled. It missed the heart of who she is and what this gym means to so many of us.

The article centered on Christy and carried heaviness, a shadow of pain and hardship. But Solid Stone Boxing radiates something entirely different. Anyone who walks through the door feels it immediately: a sense of hope, energy and spirit that lifts you up the moment you step inside. That comes from the love and integrity Dakota and Lauren bring to every interaction.

The quote in the original article referring to Dakota and Lauren’s daughters as being “too into boys and looking pretty.” Whether said in jest or not, using it in print was unnecessary, condescending and disappointing. It reduced strong, disciplined young athletes to a stereotype. That is simply not who these girls are. Those girls spar adults, build physical and mental toughness and gain confidence that follows them into their other sports and into the way they walk through the world. To portray them as anything less diminishes the very real power they have earned through hard work.

The photos in the article hint at the truth of what Solid Stone Boxing really is. This is a gym where people living with Parkinson’s gain hope and mobility, where people develop discipline and confidence, and rediscover resilience.

And for me, walking into Solid Stone Boxing as part of the Golden Gloves group changed my life. I discovered that boxing is not about aggression but about discipline, presence, and inner strength. It’s a place where I could challenge limits I believed were fixed. I had the opportunity to spar with Dakota. For two minutes I felt powerful and pushed safely beyond what I thought I could do. I walked out of the ring proud, energized, and wanting more.

Solid Stone is where people rise. We find pieces of ourselves we thought we lost. Where we learn, resilience comes from showing up. Dakota’s story is one of courage and service, and our community deserves to see her portrayed in a way that matches the truth we see every day.

Dawn Barkans

Coupeville