The Committee

MEMBER RELATIONS OFFICER - SHARAN SIMMONS

Email: info@pilates.org.au
Ph: 0485 901 833
Hours: Mon – Fri 11.00 – 4.00pm

Sharan comes to the role of Member Relations officer with strong professional experience in the Pilates industry and a unique understanding of member concerns, industry challenges and issues.

Sharan is a Principal level member of PAA and teaches in Pilates studios and allied health settings as she has for over 18 years, as a teacher, mentor, studio manager and studio owner at various points in her career.

Sharan has 10 yrs experience volunteering on the PAA committee, coordinating and contributing to a wide range of projects both organisational and industry based.  Sharan was also Conference organiser for the very successful recent events, 2019 PAA conference and 2021 PAA virtual conference.

In this new role she will work to build a stronger, more engaged membership community, provide key member services and support to all membership levels and career progressions. The day to day interaction with members is very rewarding and gives a great insight into the individual, local and national challenges facing members to tailor our support and education. Sharan has a calm and confident manner seeking solutions to member challenges or concerns and finding the way forward.

For relaxation it’s time in the garden or a bushwalk with her dog Domino. She also has a passion for baking not sparked by lockdown. Cardamom, plum and pistachio cake anyone?

SYSTEMS OFFICER - KERRY HAYWOOD

Email: support@pilates.org.au
Ph: 0485 901 834
Hours: Mon – Fri 9.00am – 2.30pm

Kerry’s role as Systems Officer focuses on some of the more technical aspects of the organisation, helping the PAA to operate more efficiently and effectively as it grows. Her areas of responsibility include:

• Support of the online membership database: helping members with technical issues, assisting with online membership profiles.
• Website updates and maintenance including Studio/Instructor Search facility and forthcoming workshop listings.
• Bookkeeping, accounts and reporting.
• Newsletter production and email advertising blasts.

Kerry’s background is a unique blend of management and customer service, with a liberal sprinkling of technical skills. Some of her previous roles include Cinema Manager for Odeon (UK) and Operations/Office Manager for corporate HR and the digital graphics training sectors in Sydney.

Her support of members is fueled by a love of problem solving and making things work, her goal is for all association with the PAA to be a smooth and enjoyable experience.

NATALIE RYAN

Email: natalie@pilates.org.au

Natalie is an Osteopath, Pilates practitioner and owner of Osteo Wellness Studio in Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast, Queensland. She holds a Bachelor of Clinical Sciences and Master of Osteopathy and incorporates Clinical Pilates into her osteopathic practice to support rehabilitation, movement and long-term patient outcomes.

Natalie began her Pilates training with Polestar Pilates, completing her comprehensive Studio Pilates certification and Certified Practitioner of Pilates Reformer. Her particular interests within Pilates include pain management, injury rehabilitation, functional movement, mobility and helping people develop greater confidence in their bodies and movement.

Alongside her clinical and Pilates background, Natalie has qualifications in web and graphic design and has contributed to association and community projects through marketing, design and communications.

Her combined interests in healthcare, Pilates and creative communication underpin her work with the Pilates Association Australia, where she enjoys helping communicate the value of quality Pilates, professional education and the work of the wider Pilates community.

KIMBERLEY GARLICK

Kimberley Garlick is an internationally recognised Pilates educator, presenter and mentor who began her career in the fitness industry in 1993 and has worked in Pilates since 1997. With a background in classical ballet and qualifications in Human Movement and Nutrition, Kimberley has been a Senior Educator with Polestar Pilates since 2004. She is the founder of Northern Rivers Pilates and creator of the Pilates Mastership Mentorship Program.

Her career has spanned teaching, studio ownership, educator training and professional mentorship, giving her a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Pilates professionals at every stage of their careers.

As President of Pilates Association Australia, Kimberley is committed to strengthening the voice, identity and recognition of the Pilates profession. Her professional interests include honouring the foundations of Joseph Pilates and Contrology while embracing thoughtful evolution, evidence-informed practice and the diversity of contemporary Pilates.

At the heart of Kimberley’s leadership is listening, collaboration and connection. She is passionate about bringing the Pilates community together, supporting future generations of practitioners and advocating for a strong, respected and sustainable profession.

JEN GUEST

Jen brings extensive experience in both the practice and education of the Pilates Method, working closely with Polestar Pilates International where she delivers certified core curriculum programs and a range of continuing education courses. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to the original philosophies of Joseph H. Pilates, combined with clinical practice and diagnosis.

Jen integrates her background in movement education and Physiotherapy into injury management, prevention, and applied anatomy and kinesiology. She also enjoys the role of governance and ensuring that the industry remains progressive, represented and supported.

Jen Guest steps back onto the Committee as Vice-President, having previously served from 2008 to 2018 — including seven years as President.

ROBYN RIX

Robyn is the founder and owner of Pilates Works on the lower North Shore of Sydney. She holds a Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction (91491NSW) and is a second generation Pilates instructor and trainer, having graduated from the Pilates Master Mentor Program conducted by Lolita San Miguel in Florida.

Previous to becoming a Pilates instructor, Robyn worked in the financial services industry as an actuary, gaining broad experience in many areas of business management. Then, with a complete change of direction, she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture.

Always interested in health & fitness, she was reluctant to pursue a career in this area for fear that it would turn something she loved into a chore. But, due to a series of (un)fortunate events, her love of the Pilates method turned into a career.

Her dream is to see the Pilates industry as a professional, cohesive and supportive community that brings the joys and benefits of Pilates to as many people as possible.

KAREN GOH

Karen has been practicing Pilates since 2011 and gained her Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction in 2017. In the past she worked as a computer analyst/programmer and then in administration and disability support.

Karen believes the strategic directions set out by the PAA are all important and is eager to promote the Pilates Method within the community generally and to specific populations and health professionals. She is keen to work with the PAA to support further learning, evaluation and research into the effectiveness of the Pilates Method and is particularly interested in creating media resources suitable for members and studios to use.

Over the years Karen has joined and contributed to various university, school (as a parent), church and club committees. Together with experience in managing a small office and reception work this has strengthened her organisational and communication skills and ability to work under pressure.

SUSIE BOND

Susie’s love of dance and her preference for an active career with caring service for people led her to graduate as a physiotherapist in 1987.  She discovered Pilates in the early 1990’s whilst recovering from a dance related foot injury and decided to train as a Pilates Instructor in 1996, completing a studio apprenticeship with Helen Tardent in addition to clinical Pilates courses.  Susie worked in Sydney and London as a Pilates instructor, doing physio work separately in other private practices. Since 2007 she has continued working with a mix of physio and Pilates studio exercise teaching in her Sydney studio and physio practice.

Susie enjoys education teaching, running regular anatomy and injury prevention lectures to Pilates teachers and dance degree course students. She is currently resident physio for dancers at McDonald college, Sydney. She is a founding committee member of the special Dance Network, in the Sports Australia group of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, a past committee member of the Australian Pilates Method Association and a member of the Int. Assoc. for Dance Medicine and Science. Her passion is for healing modalities, dance, performance enhancement and injury prevention.

Susie was invited to join the PAA committee after working with PAA committee members to broker the arrangement for APMA members to come across to PAA in 2023. She brings many years of experience in the Pilates and allied health industries, acknowledging that some modifications may be needed for injury prevention for clients with specific conditions and injuries. Use of therapeutic forms of Pilates is Susie’s ‘reality’ for healing and graded care in her everyday working life. However, she has a strong desire to bring these industry communities together in a common voice for respect for the full body of work and principles of Jo Pilates and each other’s talents, whilst lobbying for the need for comprehensive Pilates training and continuing education and ongoing research.

BRUCE HILDEBRAND

Bruce has always loved sport and movement, and his interests led him to a Sports Science degree (RMIT Melbourne) during which time he discovered Pilates in 1996.  He first trained in Pilates in the UK in 1999, working with the Body Control Pilates UK (BCP-UK) group for 3 years in central London. In 2003 he was invited to manage the first BCP-UK studio in Scotland, where he worked with members of UK rock band Radiohead and members of the cast of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

Bruce has studied with classical Pilates trainers Siri Dharma, Los Angeles and Michael Miller, Colorado. From 2002, he studied with world-renowned movement and imagery expert Eric Franklin, becoming the pioneer Franklin Method® Educator in Australia in the early 2000s.

Bruce was the co-founder of Balance & Control Pilates Studio in Melbourne in 2004, growing the business to three studios across Melbourne and a team of 20 dedicated Pilates and Physiotherapy practitioners. He also served as consultant Strength Coach to the Australian Ballet School from 2005-2011, as well as training a range of elite level athletes from AFL, Sailing, Athletics, Soccer, Netball, Ballet and Music.

Bruce played state-level Australian Rules football in both Victoria and WA. He has trekked Peru’s Inca Trail to Macchu Pichu, sailed a yacht across the Atlantic Ocean, and ran the 2002 London Marathon.

Bruce is a PAA Principal Trainer and is keen to help improve the economic return for Pilates teachers and has a special interest in creating a united force for Pilates in Australia.

LISA JACKSON

Lisa is a Principal Trainer under the Pilates Association Australia and a Continuing Education Teacher and mentor. She is also the Faculty teacher for the internationally recognised Buff Bones Osteoporosis program for Australia and has been the Brisbane Pilates teacher of Cirque Du Soleil for Totem in 2015, Kooza in 2016 and Kurios in 2020.

Lisa began her Pilates journey in 2001 whilst living in Los Angeles.

In 2003, Lisa trained at the Physicalmind Institute in Los Angeles and New York. Returning to Australia in 2006, her passion for learning and a desire to further explore Joseph Pilates’ work led her to Sally Anderson, the Founder and Director of Pilates International (PilatesITC).
She has completed her Diploma and Advanced Diploma through PilatesITC and acted as the Queensland Faculty teacher for PilatesITC until 2019 when she stepped aside to follow her passion for building a deeper understanding of the biomechanics through the hip and pelvis as a key driver in providing quality movement.

Lisa has followed and studied the work of Dr. Alison Grimaldi, a leading Hip Physiotherapist, and Hip Academy Director. She is part of this academy and until COVID had spent 16 months teaching Pilates in Alison’s Brisbane clinic.

Lisa has a vibrant personality and infectious passion for Pilates and movement that resonates in all that she does. Her teaching philosophy is client-centric, emphasising correct movement patterning, posture awareness, and general well-being. She is dedicated to seeing growth and change both for her clients and any teachers she is mentoring.

A self-professed life-long learner who continues to study both nationally and internationally with distinguished Pilates and movement teachers, Lisa is passionate about teaching practical skills that building awareness through knowledge.

In 2022 Lisa relocated from QLD to regional Victoria where she continues to teach and mentor both online and in person.

SHARON MICHAU

Sharon Michau is a third-generation Classical Pilates instructor, educator and mentor with over 10 years experience teaching Pilates and more than 25 years as a professional dancer and dance educator. Her Pilates practice is deeply rooted in the Original Method as taught by Joseph Pilates, with a strong commitment to preserving its integrity and intent.

Following completion of her Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction, Sharon trained extensively with international classical instructors and completed the Immersive Coaching Program under second-generation instructor Wade Edwell. She continues her professional development and mentoring internationally and is currently completing the elite, invitation-only program The Method program with Sandy Shimoda of Vintage Pilates.

As the founder and principal trainer of MPG Pty Ltd, Sharon has developed a comprehensive classical Pilates teacher training program that reflects her years of study, mentorship, and practical experience. She is strongly committed to educating and supporting the next generation of classical instructors, with a focus on preserving the integrity, depth, and intent of the original method. Sharon wholeheartedly embraces the approach of first-generation instructor Jay Grimes and strongly aligns with his belief: “You don’t teach someone Pilates, you help them discover it in their body.”

As a PAA Committee member, Sharon is motivated by a commitment to legacy, education and advocacy, and contributes her expertise in classical methodology and instructor development to support the ongoing strength and professionalism of the Pilates industry in Australia.

DONNA OLIVER

Donna began working in the Pilates space in 1995 and undertook her initial training with Vass and Shaw in Sydney. She completed the Grad Cert Pilates Method in the inaugural intake of 2001 at UTS and following graduation was invited to serve as a faculty member at UTS, a position she held for 5 years. In 2008, she graduated as an Exercise Physiologist from the University of Wollongong.

In 2002 she was elected to the board of the Australian Pilates Method Association and served a successful term as President (2003-2008). She later returned in the roles of Vice President, Advisory Consultant and Acting CEO for the Education and Training arm. She has continued to serve the industry in various board and consultancy roles, now joining the PAA committee.

Donna owns and operates Wollongong Pilates Studio (1995 to date) where she practices as a rehabilitation provider and Pilates Practitioner. She continues to mentor many young Pilates and EP students and graduates as well as other complementary and allied health professionals.

In 2022, Donna was awarded Allied Health Professional of the Year by the Australian Patients Association of which she is very proud.

Donna comes to the PAA committee with an interest in sharing her experience across many industry issues and promoting a therapeutic model of the work that would be recognised by the public, private health funds, NDIS, and Workers’ Insurance.

Natalie Murray

Natalie is an owner-operator at myPilates in Sydney and has been part of the Pilates profession since beginning her journey as an apprentice in 1996. With over 30 years of experience, she brings extensive practical knowledge and a strong commitment to the Pilates Method and the continued development of the profession.

Natalie holds a Graduate Certificate in the Pilates Method from UTS, a Certificate IV in Professional Pilates Instruction (PITC), a Certificate IV in Training and Assessing, and a Diploma in Sports Injury Therapies from ACNT. She is also a Principal Trainer member of Pilates Association Australia (PAA).

Her professional interests include quality movement education, therapeutic Pilates, professional standards, client care, and the education and mentoring of Pilates teachers. She has taught the APMA Level 2 course and worked extensively as an RTO educator.

Natalie has contributed to the profession through the APMA Council, PAA Therapeutic Pilates Special Interest Group and PAA Health Fund Sub-Group, and has assisted with PAA case study submissions for the NTREAP.

As an Ordinary Councillor, Natalie brings her experience and collaborative approach to supporting the PAA and broader Pilates community.