I AM Movement

Timorei “Timi” Spaulding (pronounced as if her parents couldn’t decide between the names “Tim or Ray” so they just mashed it all together) is certified as both a Rock Steady Boxing coach and DanceAbility instructor.  She has always had a passion for the power of movement as exercise and art, and its ability to bring people together. Timorei spent her college years at San Francisco State University and the University of Oregon in pursuit of her Bachelor of Science in Dance and Business Administration minor.  This is when she fell in love with body mechanics and exploring the mind-body connection through somatics work (nerd alert). Under DanceAbility International’s founder, Alito Alessi, Timorei earned her DanceAbility instructor certification in 2016. She is excited to implement DanceAbility pedagogy in her dance classes to explore movement with people of all abilities in an open, supportive space.  Her new passion for boxing is thanks to her mom, Donnella. Being introduced to Rock Steady Boxing, Timorei is eager to help people fight back against Parkinson’s. She is also First Aid/CPR/AED certified through the American Red Cross. Next up, is completing her comprehensive Pilates certification. When Timorei is not movin’ and groovin’, she’s likely munchin’ on Mexican food or trying to hop on a plane to get the next stamp in her passport.

Donnella “Nel” Andraos (AKA Timi’s mom) is a certified Rock Steady Boxing coach. Based on personal experience, she firmly believes in the mental and physical benefits of boxing. That may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s not. Nel is a triple-negative breast cancer survivor who started kickboxing to counter the effects of chemo-brain and neuropathy, both cancer souvenirs. She credits the intense kickboxing workouts for helping her reclaim her life. Beyond the body and mind conditioning attributes, she quickly realized kickboxing was cathartic too. An important bonus when one is dealing with pent up frustration over something they can’t control. She has since taken her martial arts training a step further actively learning Muay Thai (Thailand’s national combative sport also known as the “art of eight limbs”). A Reach to Recovery volunteer with the American Cancer Society, Nel shares her recovery story with the patients she mentors to encourage and instill hope in those still in the trenches. She is First Aid/CPR/AED certified through the American Red Cross and earned her Group Fitness Instructor certification through ACE (American Council on Exercise). Fun fact: Nel’s favorite fix is a Randy’s maple bar with a Diet Coke chaser. Yum, yum, yum!