Club Pilates

Bios

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  Marnye S

  Pilates Instructor

  Marnye has been practicing Pilates for 9 years and teaching for the past 2. She received her Stott certification in all levels of equipment this past September in Denver, CO. She is excited to teach and share her knowledge and believes that strength is empowering both physically and mentally. Marnye has a wonderful husband, 2 daughters and 2 dogs and they are her biggest fans.

• Michelle G

  Pilates Instructor

  Michelle is PMA certified in Pilates, holds a Group Fitness certification from ACE, and a Group Strength Specialty Certificate from SCW Fitness Education. She is a Group Fitness Instructor with over ten years of teaching experience. Michelle came to pilates as a way to relieve her back problems and other injuries she had sustained. Pilates enabled her to return to running, an activity she had loved but had to give up. Pilates practice also enabled her to find a new challenge in biking. Michelle draws from her years of teaching fitness to continually add to her classes. Michelle has earned Master’s Degrees in Business Administration and Asian Studies to augment her Bachelor of Arts in the History of Art. Her philosophy is: movement is the key to a happy and healthy life.

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  Lisa B.

  Lisa has always been involved in sports, with track and field being a predominant influence in her life and in that of her family. She was a standout high school shot put and discus thrower, an NCAA Div. I Varsity letter winner and member of the women’s Purdue Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championship Team. Lisa was invited to join the Universidad de Chile Track Club to compete as a thrower while she working abroad long-term for a major US pharmaceutical company. She met and married fellow team member, Andres, who was a successful thrower in Chile. Their two sons have followed in their track footsteps: both have been USATF All-Americans in their events, their older son was a boy’s USATF National Champion decathlete and their younger son is a thrower on the outstanding University of Alabama Men’s Track team. In addition to Track&Field, Lisa was a high school athletic trainer for her high school’s football team for three years straight; as a Pilates instructor, she’s found herself tapping into knowledge built during that experience. Lisa has been practicing Mat Pilates for many years after some exposure to it during a circuit training class in Virginia and has been a voracious reader of any Pilates material she can find. When the opportunity to become certified through Club Pilates presented itself, she jumped at the chance and entered the program in 2018. “While Club Pilates afforded me the chance to enhance my Pilates experience, being able to share it with others as an instructor is even more rewarding.” Lisa and Andres and their two Valley Bulldogs live in Roselle almost next door to Lynfred Winery where Andres is the GM and Director of Winemaking. Peace, Pinot, Pilates... repeat.

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  Beata B

  Instructor

  Beata is classically trained Pilates & Barre Instructor, qualified on all apparatus & certified by the Pilates Method Alliance ( PMA). As Czechoslovakian native with passion for fitness & movement in her early age, she took an active role in Mass Gymnastics Events – SPARTAKIADES Prague 1985 -1989. After moving to US - Chicago, her Pilates journey began as a student taking occasional classes ( regular Mat with foam roller) for fitness & flexibility - in Bally’s Fitness since 2006. She discovered the real Pilates principles at Village Pilates Studio – Forest Park in 2009, where she committed more time to herself and her practice as a regular student on daily basis. Beata completed 850+hrs. of Pilates training + teaching in this location. She now believes that “ There is no perfect body, but Pilates is perfect for every-body “ ! She has an energetic yet light-hearted approach to her teaching and wishes to share that with everyone she meets. Beata’s goal as a teacher is to empower her students to find strength, joy, and happiness within their own practice. Beata speaks fluent Czech, Slovak & Polish.

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  Jenny O

  Jenny is a Club Pilates Certified Pilates Instructor: Growing up in California she was blessed to lead a very active lifestyle that included running , surfing, hiking , biking and rollerblading . After coming to Illinois in 2002, she continued her love of being active by taking advantage of all the beautiful forest preserve trails to run, rollerblade and hike. She began taking pilates classes at the recommendation of her physical therapist, after an injury while training for the 2017 Chicago Marathon. Jenny fell in love with how Pilates changed the way she viewed structured exercise by changing the way she moved, sat, walked. Most importantly Pilates helped her to run without pain. When the opportunity arose to become an instructor she jumped at the chance, as she was eager to share her love of Pilates with others. Jenny is a wife, mother and grandmother. She and her husband have two dogs and two cats to round out their family.

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  Iryna P

  Helping people live happier, healthier lives has been a life pursuit of Iryna Pantelyuk. She began as a physical education instructor and then served Chicago Northshore suburban clients as a massage therapist- specializing in Ben Benjamin orthopedic and myofascial massage . In December of 2011, she became mat pilates Instructor certified by Symmetry Pilates. Her belief in Pilates grew since she has experienced positive changes in her clients body so she decided to go through full certification through Balanced Body Pilates. On May of 2012 she completed a comprehensive Pilates training program. Since she become certified, she never stopped learning new approaches on myofascial lines, scoliosis, balance, gait, and so on. Her philosophy is: the more knowledge you have the more you can help each individual to have happier and healthier life.

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  Allana

  Alanna received her comprehensive Pilates certification through Club Pilates. She is currently a professional dancer in Chicago, and teaches dance to all ages throughout the Chicagoland suburbs. She fell in love with Pilates when she pursued her BFA in Dance Performance at Northern Illinois University, and was introduced to the form of exercise through a classical mat class. With her background she understands the value of injury prevention and full body strength that Pilates provides. One of her favorite things about Pilates is how versatile of a workout it is. Pilates doesn't have a type, it is a benefit to everyone and anyone. Having a diverse active lifestyle, Alanna enjoys sharing her passion with others in a teaching environment.

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  Ali Y

  General Manager / Instructor

  Allison Yunkun is a second generation, certified Pilates instructor. She trained for over 500 hours with Pamela Paley, a student of Ron Fletcher who learned directly from Joseph Pilates. Ali graduated from the University of Iowa in 2000 with a BS degree in Theatre Arts and went on to earn a Masters of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education in 2008. She has a diverse work history that includes handling bodily injury insurance claims, managing retail locations, to teaching elementary school in various states and more. About 10 years ago, while looking for a way to build core strength, Ali learned about Pilates. Early in 2018, she decided that it was time to find a way to make a career out of doing what she loved... teaching and helping people live fuller lives. Ali loves seeing the joy that the dramatic physical and mental transformations bring to her students. She enjoys teaching beginners with creative cues and ways to focus on their own ranges of motion. She likes the challenge of working with people with injuries or limitations as well as people who have never seen themselves as someone who chooses to workout. Ali believes that anyone can be successful in their Pilates journey if they are willing to explore the movement and have some fun while they do it.