Instructor Trainers

Michelle obtained her STOTT PILATES^® certification in 2006 and became an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES in 2009. She is also a licensed massage therapist and has been a certified yoga instructor for more than 12 years. Michelle enjoys working privately with clients, drawing from her diverse background to help them develop strength and find efficient movement and that best fits their lifestyle and limitations. She frequently works with special client populations recovering from knee or hip replacements and spinal cord injuries and thrives on finding the right exercise solution for their needs.

Michelle received her Certification as a STOTT PILATES^® Instructor in 2010. In 2016, she completed the requirements to become a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer specializing in STOTT PILATES. She has had extensive training in the Pilates method from a number of Pilates schools since 2005. A graduate in dance from Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts (2003), Michelle is influenced by other training including Gyrotonic (Apprentice in 2013), Myokinematic Restoration, Anatomy Trains and Argentine Tango which she has been perfecting since 2011. Michelle has extensive experience teaching in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong as a resident Pilates Instructor for a physiotherapy clinic, Pilates Instructor in the Singapore Navy, and in the Lasalle College of the Arts School of Dance, as well as with private studio clients from all backgrounds. She aspires to train quality Pilates Instructors who will uphold the standards of STOTT PILATES and Merrithew brands. In 2018, Michelle co-founded The Better Movement Studio, Singapore.

Michelle, from Sydney, Australia, has both a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts (Dance) degrees. She became a fully certified STOTT PILATES^® Instructor in 2003, and later that year went on to become an Instructor Trainer. She is now a Lead IT for Merrithew^® specializing in the STOTT PILATES full repertoire. Over the past 14 years, she has taught hundreds of STOTT PILATES courses and workshops in the US, Canada, Brazil, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the UAE. Michelle is an intrepid traveler who loves an adventure.

Min Jin’s passion for Pilates began in 2006. She became a STOTT PILATES^® Certified Instructor in 2015 and a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer in 2022, specializing in Matwork and Reformer. She holds a Bachelors of Design and Management from The Parsons School of Design. MJ has worked as a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor and interpreter for Merrithew for several years. She hopes to spread her passion and knowledge of Pilates widely.

Minah, originally from Korea, arrived in Canada at the age of 19. Her journey with Pilates began as she found comfort in its ability to improve posture and relieve pain. Luckily, living near the Merrithew^® Toronto Corporate Training Centre, she immersed herself in comprehensive courses in 2015. After spending eight years in Canada, she moved to Australia in 2017 to start a new chapter.

In 2018, she founded Blue Sky Pilates, which is not just a studio but also a Merrithew Host Training Center. Now a STOTT PILATES^® Instructor Trainer, Minah facilitates convenient access to Merrithew programs for Australian students. Minah is committed to learning and loves sharing her accumulated wisdom with students. She recently broadened her expertise to include the Gyrotonic method and became a Certified Instructor.

After exploring a number of dance styles over a 15-year career, Mirela entered the world of fitness in 1995. In 2000, she started her Pilates education, then in 2002 she expanded her education with the internationally-renowned STOTT PILATES^® program at the Merrithew^® Corporate Training Center in Toronto, becoming a fully-certified Instructor. She went on to become a Merrithew Instructor Trainer specializing in STOTT PILATES. Mirela is an external associate at the University of Kinesiology in Zagreb, and she regularly presents at the International Congress of Sport Training as well as at the Aerobic and Body-Mind Congresses in Croatia and Europe. Starting in 2012, she has worked with a number of athletes, creating sport-, season- and position-specific programs.

Moira Merrithew, together with President and CEO of Merrithew^®, Lindsay G. Merrithew, has spent over two decades promoting the benefits of responsible exercise through their branded programming. Together with her team, they ensure all programming is aligned with current scientific and biomechanical research. In addition to overseeing the Education Department, Moira is a content creator and featured performer in the extensive DVD series. A published author and media personality, she presents at numerous fitness industry events all over the globe. After an accomplished career as principal dancer with the City Ballet of Toronto and the Atlantic Ballet Company, Moira Merrithew went on to retrain and certify as a Pilates instructor under the tutelage of Romana Kryzanowska at the original studio founded by the late Joseph H. Pilates.

Monique is the founder of Pilates Winnipeg, a Merrithew^® Licenced Training Centre in Manitoba, which opened in 1997. She is one of very few bilingual Merrithew Lead Instructor Trainers and upon request to teach any certification course or examination in both English and French. A graduate of The National Ballet School, Monique has over 30 years of teaching experience. Monique is also a certified Gyrotonic instructor.

In 2007 and again in 2009, she received a mentorship award as a result of recommendations from her peers, along with a lifetime achievement award from Merrithew. She recently hosted Moira Merrithew at her studio in celebration of the studio's 20th anniversary.

Mor has been involved in sports her whole life, and played professional European handball for 15 years. Her love and passion for understanding the human body led her to study exercise science. In 2002 she received her Bachelor of Sciences degree in Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, and in 2005 she graduated with her Masters Degree in Exercise Sciences from Queens College of the City University of New York. Mor and a colleague conducted research into the Changes in Landing Mechanics After Cold-Water Immersion, the results of which were published in the June 2010 edition Journal of Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-227945281.html). Mor was certified as an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES^® in 2009 and is also a Total Barre^® Qualified Instructor. Mor's ability to understand, give and listen to each client, matches her genuine wish for each of her student's success. The feedback from her students has always been positive, praising her as a wonderful, inspirational teacher.

Nadja began her training with STOTT PILATES^® in 2002 became a certified Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® in 2004.