Instructor Trainer bios

Marelize Badenhorst has been a lover of dance, art and movement all her life. While studying design and classical ballet, she discovered Pilates to treat an injury. She gained so much from Pilates as a way of rehabilitating and realigning her body that it inspired her to change career paths. She enrolled in one of the first STOTT PILATES^® Matwork courses offered by Merrithew^® in Cape Town, South Africa in 2000 and opened Pilates studios in Durbanville and Stellenbosch later that year.

Since then, Marelize has lived abroad and traveled all over the world to study. She has taught and presented in Oxford and at the YMCA in London. Marelize founded Precision Pilates, the first Merrithew Licensed Training Center in the Netherlands and hosted courses and workshops at various studios and facilities throughout the Netherlands. She re-located to South Africa with her family in 2014. She is currently working as an instructor and mentor at Core Concepts Pilates and Rehabilitation, a niche rehab-studio in her hometown of Durbanville, and is a part of the education team at The Movement Lab, a Merrithew Licensed Training Center in Cape Town.

Marelize is comfortable teaching a wide range of individuals, from seniors to young athletes in need of sport-specific training. Her greatest pleasure comes from assisting clients in a post-rehab program using Pilates to realign and strengthen their bodies to be the best that they can be, and sharing her knowledge and passion for Pilates with her students.

Margaret was a competitive gymnast from age 5 to 17 and has always been active. Teaching fitness classes seemed to be a perfect fit and she became an instructor at her local recreation facility in 2000. Realizing how much she enjoyed helping people get and stay active led Margaret to discover Pilates in 2007. She loved how the modality challenged participants and could be modified for any level. She started with her STOTT PILATES^® Matwork Certification in 2012 and completed her comprehensive STOTT PILATES Certification by 2017. Margaret’s strong desire to help others learn and teach STOTT PILATES led her to further her education and training. She became a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer specializing in STOTT PILATES Matwork and Reformer in 2021. She currently teaches private and group classes at Pilates-4-Virginia Beach in Virginia. She is now part of the education team at Balance Pilates Studio in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Mari became aware of Pilates in the 1990s but was only able to practice regularly starting in 2010. Pilates helped improve her frequent neck, shoulder & back pain after various therapies provided limited relief. Having experienced firsthand the power of Pilates, she resonates with Joseph Pilates' idea that "Change happens through movement and movement heals". Mari’s love for Pilates led her to pursue her STOTT PILATES certification while taking a break from her corporate life in Brand & Marketing. Soon after, she made a career switch to become a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor. She loves that it is a job where one keeps learning and growing. She believes Pilates is restorative yet challenging - a harmony of big and small muscles working together, gaining flexibility through strength and realignment. Mari has a passion for helping people achieve to be the best version of themselves.

Maria Adelaide is a highly-respected fitness professional. She is an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES^® Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Stability Chair and Barrels as well as a qualified-Yoga teacher. Having moved to London from Italy to continue her professional dance career, she first discovered Pilates whilst at the London Studio Centre, the performing art college where she graduated.

Maria Adelaide tailors each class safely and creatively. Her approach focuses on alignment and the connection between fluid-movement and the breath to ensure that her students feel stronger and more flexible with improved physical awareness. Maria Adelaide provides excellent and responsive advice and mentoring to ensure that her students receive first-rate support when preparing for and following their examinations.

Maria was introduced to STOTT PILATES^® in 2008, after completing her graduation in Physical Education and Sports. With a background in dance, sports and fitness, she immediately fell in love with STOTT PILATES and decided to pursue further education in the method.

While completing her STOTT PILATES certification, Maria also graduated in Physiotherapy, specializing in movement and therapeutic exercise. In 2014, she opened PITZ, a Pilates studio and rehab and has since become a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer.

Maria works as a physiotherapist and manager at PITZ, and collaborates at Aveiro University, as an invited teacher, and mentoring physiotherapy interns. She is also passionate about communication and is currently writing a book chapter on the impact of communication in rehabilitation and exercise prescription.