02
/
06
/
24
From a young age playing sport was always part of my life. My first love was tennis... I broke many wooden tennis rackets practising my serve outside on the street. I played tennis and hockey at school and enjoyed playing for the school teams.
A bad fall during the high jump when I was 14 years old would eventually come back to haunt me in my early 20's. I had on and off low back pain that would often radiate down the back of my leg and usually got worse when I was stressed. I had no time to have back pain, I was a student physiotherapist with my placements to complete and long lectures to sit through. I had seen a few physiotherapists at the time and it always helped but I needed a way to manage it long term.
In 2010 a lovely colleague of mine asked me to join up to her physio-led Pilates class and I initially said no because regular Pilates classes always aggravated my back. But thankfully she convinced me and I signed up. I remember during those first few weeks in class, I could barely lift my leg and when the instructor turned her back I lowered my legs until she turned around, then I would lift them back up again so that I didn't get caught... I almost never got caught!!
What happened over those first 6 weeks was so subtle that it was only one day as I was standing on a busy orthopaedic ward I realised my low back pain wasn't there. From that moment I knew I had to learn Pilates and teach the benefits to every one I could.
If you had of told the 14 year old Amy she would be teaching Pilates classes to 10 or more people she would have told you to wise up... 14 year old Amy was very shy but I had found my passion. I could talk about and teach Pilates until the cows come home.
From there I signed up to learn Pilates with the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute (APPI). Completing Matwork level 1... and then level 2.... now I could teach and that's exactly what I did. As I and my clients got better and stronger I then completed Matwork level 3 so that I could progress the exercises. I took my Matwork exam and became an APPI certified Matwork instructor.
From there I did APPI courses to progress my knowledge and exercise repertoire including Pilates and the Theraband, Pilates and the small balls, Pilates and the Magic circle, Pilates for Osteoporosis, Pilates and hypermobility...the list goes on.
In 2016 I began my reformer Pilates training. I completed all the levels and my exam to become an APPI certified Reformer Instructor and I began teaching Reformer Pilates.
In 2019 I began my large equipment Pilates training using the cadillac, split pedal chair, arc barrell and reformer and I am aiming to complete my large equipment exam this year and become a gold member of the APPI.
I love teaching Pilates, it combines everything I love and what's more I have a deep belief that it works. I have helped many people feel better and move better and I want to keep doing that for as long as I can.
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. This is only part of the journey, I will tell you the rest another day.
Amy xx