Instructor Trainers

Jinju Han is a seasoned fitness professional with over five years of experience in various physical disciplines, including dance, aerobics, yoga, and physical therapy. Her journey as a Pilates instructor began while managing a Pilates center. She holds a degree in Japanese language and literature, combining linguistic prowess with Pilates expertise. In 2015, she completed the STOTT PILATES^® course, becoming a Level 1 instructor in 2016. For nine years, she has guided and inspired clients, receiving consistent positive feedback. Currently a Pilates instructor at TRNT Trinity Pilates Center since December 2019, Jinju's dedication led her to become a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer in 2023, with aspirations to further her expertise and inspire future Pilates instructors.

Jitka has been a fitness and Pilates Instructor for over 20 years. She has lived and worked in cities all around the world, including Toronto, Sydney, Phoenix and Tel Aviv. She began her training with STOTT PILATES^® in 2005, and became a Certified Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® in 2011. That same year she returned to the Czech Republic, where she currently works teaching for Merrithew in her studio Pilates Point in Brno. Her main interests are lumbo-pelvic stability, core research and helping clients live pain-free, healthy lives.

Joana received her STOTT PILATES^® Instructor Certification at the Toronto Corporate Training Center in 2001 and became an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES in 2002. Joana is a certified yoga teacher and the founder of BodyRoots Fitness Studio in New York City. Previously the head of the Pilates program at an elite fitness club in NYC and with over 13 years of experience, Joana now offers personally tailored, one-on-one training in her private downtown Manhattan loft space. A proud former Lululemon Althetica brand ambassador, Joana has been featured in several STOTT PILATES professional fitness DVDs, Pilates Style magazine, Shape magazine, The New York Times and has trained high profile clients in NYC including Jimmy Fallon and Edie Falco.

Jo-Anne discovered Pilates while completing her MA at New York University. She went on to become a Merrithew^® Lead Instructor Trainer and has extended her passion for movement into completing a Diploma for Osteopathic Manual Therapy. Jo-Anne incorporates her osteopathy knowledge into her work with clients, boosting their awareness and perception of movement. She is also the mother of busy twin girls whom she says often remind her to live mindfully and fully.

Jolanda has a passion for movement and for the last 12 years, specifically in the Pilates method. After years of study, she became a physical education teacher at a high school, specializing in a number of different sports and especially in dance. During that time, she developed remedial after-school teaching programs as well as studying massage therapy. She has a great interest in anatomy and is fascinated by fascia and how it can be integrated in a Pilates program. As an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES^® and Total Barre^®, Jolanda has a passion for sharing her knowledge with students and teachers. She is the owner of K'dans, currently the only Licensed Training Center in The Netherlands where she teaches a variety of fitness modalities, with STOTT PILATES as the base for all movement.

Josefin has been working full time with Pilates and movement for nearly ten years. She was born in Sweden where she actively trained in gymnastics until her mid-teens. While living in London in her early 20's she began suffering from back pain. It was then that she discovered Pilates and its amazing power to heal and strengthen the body. In 2005 she moved to the US and became a certified STOTT PILATES^® Instructor. Two years later, she became an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES. In 2009 she opened her own studio in Malmö, Sweden: Movement Studio Malmö. Her studio is flourishing, and she enjoys training clients at all levels as well as running STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer courses.

Judy began her active lifestyle as a competitive ballroom dancer in Zimbabwe, and also as a member of the Zimbabwe National Aerobics team. She became a STOTT PILATES^® Certified Instructor in 2001 and an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES in 2008. Judy draws on her degree in applied nutrition, as well as her experience with personal training, therapeutic massage and injury rehabilitation when working with her Pilates clients. She particularly enjoys working with students as they prepare for their examinations, and considers Postural Analysis and correction to be her passion.

Stella started practicing Pilates in 2011 using the STOTT PILATES^® method to ease back pain stemming from her pregnancy. Her back pain disappeared within a few months, and she was intrigued by the effectiveness of Pilates and wanted to learn more. In 2014, she took her first STOTT PILATES training program and became a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor in 2015.

Since then, she has continued to learn and explore the STOTT PILATES method as well as other forms of human movement science, such as the Kinetic Control, Franklin Method^® and Feldenkrais Method.

In 2020, she became a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer specializing in STOTT PILATES. She believes that the power and knowledge of movement can help everyone achieve his/her best quality of life.

Julie was introduced to the STOTT PILATES^® method in 2007 during rehab for an ACL injury. She became a Certified Instructor in 2008 and in 2013, became an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES. Julie is passionate for dance and education and is dedicated to help people by spreading the STOTT PILATES method throughout Korea. Since suffering from an injury while training as a dancer, she has become aware that many dance students are not exposed to proper rehab or training for movement. It is her intent therefore, to bring the STOTT PILATES method to local students and clients. In 2021, she became a Merrithew Lead IT.

Julie's love of body movement began at the age of four with classical ballet. Ballet has always given Julie the discipline, focus, and passion to explore many different avenues in the physical fitness industry which finally lead her to Pilates. Julie began her career as a Fully Certified STOTT PILATES^® Pilates instructor in June 2010. Immediately following her certification, she was employed at the Merrithew^® Corporate Training Center and Head Office in Toronto, Canada. Continuously being inspired by her peers, her clients, and her passion for Pilates have all driven Julie to take her education to the next level; becoming an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew specializing in STOTT PILATES Matwork and Reformer. Julie currently teaches in both French and English in the French Riviera.