Instructor Trainers

Mami Ozaki first encountered Pilates after restarting ballet lessons as an adult. She was looking for an appropriate conditioning class. Pilates relieved Mami of the back pain she’d been suffering from for a long time, and fell in love with Pilates instantly.

It had been a long-time dream of hers to work in the health and wellness industry, so she decided to become a Pilates instructor.

Mami became a STOTT PILATES^® Certified Instructor in 2015 and joined Sky Pilates Tokyo.

Manami, a professional dancer, discovered and fell in love with Pilates because of its ability to help her heal from persistent back pain that had bothered her for years. Through Pilates, she also learned to focus on how her body moves, thus strengthening her mind-body connection.

In 2009, Manami became a Certified Instructor, joining Sky Pilates Tokyo in 2015. In 2023, she achieved the milestone of becoming a STOTT PILATES^® Instructor Trainer. She is passionate about continuously improving her teaching skills to help her clients achieve their fitness goals.

A professional dancer, Marcela was first introduced to Pilates as a means of conditioning. She became a STOTT PILATES^® Certified Instructor in 2001 and in 2007 she progressed to the level of Merrithew^® Lead Instructor Trainer specializing in STOTT PILATES. Marcela’s long history with body movement began with training in classical dance in her native Argentina and moved on to contemporary dance in New York City. She has danced with Ballet Proarte in Argentina, the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, and Ballet de l’Opera de Paris, and holds a French National Diploma in Ballet Teaching and a National Certification from the American Ballet Theatre. Able to teach in English, French and Spanish, Marcela’s passion is an integrated education with a focus on strong technique, a healthy body and a free spirit.

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.

In 1996, Maria began her dance training and has worked with different dance and theater companies since then. She started her fitness journey in 2005 by incorporating yoga and Pilates which helped her build strength and flexibility, which are both crucial for dancers.

In 2011, Maria was introduced to STOTT PILATES^®. This inspired her to dive further into this journey and she became a STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer specializing in Mat and Reformer in 2022. She believes that Pilates plays a huge role in ensuring overall well-being and that everyone should incorporate mindful movement into their exercise routine.

Maria Monks received her STOTT PILATES^® full certification as an instructor in 2010. In 2013 she traveled to Milan, Italy to become an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES. Maria has been involved with movement of the human body from an early age, participating in gymnastics as well as Ballroom and Latin American dancing. While completing her bachelor's degree in Psychology, she discovered STOTT PILATES and became quite passionate about the method of exercise. Her past injuries created an awareness of how beneficial this method of exercise can be. Maria guides clients of all ages and different levels of fitness, focusing with sensitivity to their varying needs, to achieve their personal goals through strength and mobility.