Instructor Trainers

Samia received her BA in dance before moving to New York to pursue a dance career. Following a knee injury, she became a STOTT PILATES^® Instructor in 2003. Samia taught Pilates in Austria and across the United States, working with a variety of clientele including athletes, pre- and post-natal women, seniors, post-rehab clients as well as with those struggling with their weight. In 2008, Samia become a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer, specializing in STOTT PILATES and ZEN•GA^®. Samia currently teaches at Inspire Health, a Merrithew Licensed Training Center.

Samia earned her BA in Dance in Brazil before moving to New York to continue her professional dance career, training at Alvin Ailey, Steps on Broadway, and Broadway Dance Center. While performing on the European tour of Grease, she developed an overuse knee injury, and the STOTT PILATES^® method played a key role in rebuilding her strength. Impressed by how effectively it transformed her body, she decided to pursue full STOTT PILATES certification in New York and began teaching in 2002.

Her career has since taken her across the U.S. and to Austria, working with diverse clients including athletes, pre/post-natal women, seniors, post-rehab clients, and individuals seeking pain relief, mobility, strength and resilience. In 2008, she became a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer, specializing in STOTT PILATES and ZEN•GA^®.

Known for her deep understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, and mindful movement, Samia brings over two decades of experience to her teaching. She is ACE-certified, fluent in English and Portuguese, and currently teaches at Inspire Health, a Merrithew Licensed Training Center.

Sandra de Sousa Machado is the owner of Pilates Holistic Center Hamburg. Always looking for a way to combine therapy and training, she discovered the STOTT PILATES^® method. Sandra felt the difference in her body during the education process and long afterwards, and in November 2011 she continued her education in Toronto where she became an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES, and then became an IT for Total Barre^® in 2013. Sandra was the first Portuguese certified Merrithew Instructor Trainer and now combines over 10 years of teaching experience with her knowledge of Pilates, sport therapy, personal training and massage to ensure that clients experience the best in mind-body exercise. Her clientele includes professional athletes, singers, dancers and actors.

Sara is a physical therapist and entrepreneur who has owned Inspire Health in Atlanta, leading integrative physical therapy and Pilates center, since 2005. Sara's love of science and sport led her to earn an Undergraduate Degree in cellular biology from the University of Georgia and a Masters of Science in physical therapy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has spent her physical therapy career in outpatient orthopedic settings, and is a Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist, seeing complex patients referred by some of Atlanta's top physicians. In creating her own practice, Sara has been a leader in integrating Pilates and physical therapy into a patient-centric, outcomes-driven, consumer-pay clinical model. Since 2003, Sara has utilized the STOTT PILATES^® method for neuromuscular re-education and therapeutic intervention in her practice. Sara has partnered with Merrithew^® since 2007 as the owner of a Licensed Training Center and became a STOTT PILATES Rehab IT to continue to promote the integration of STOTT PILATES into the practices of rehabilitation professionals.

Sara has a varied professional portfolio that includes osteopathy and massage as well as personal coaching for specialized sports. She is the Center Director and teaches Pilates and Personal Training at the Pilates Center Valladolid, in Valladolid, Spain. A sports devotee since 1995, she initiated incorporating the Pilates method with her clients after taking her first STOTT PILATES^® course in 2006. She began STOTT PILATES Rehab training in 2012 and became a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer specializing in STOTT PILATES Matwork and Reformer in 2014.

Sarah has a passion for movement. Having been a competitive athlete, Pilates helped her overcome several injuries and fueled her desire to further understand movement. Sarah's enthusiastic and energetic nature can be seen in the clinic and classroom, helping others move better, studying how the nervous system controls movement and sharing this knowledge. Sarah is currently a teacher and researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, and carries a clinical load focusing on motor control in pediatrics, neurology and sport. She is a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer specializing in STOTT PILATES^®. Interested in complex movement disorders, as well as injury prevention, Sarah loves Pilates for the mind body awareness it creates and the ability to use this to restore balance in the body.

Sarah is the founder of The Studio, a fully-equipped Pilates, dance and fitness studio in Cairo, Egypt. Her interest in movement blossomed at a very young age while learning ballet and gymnastics. She took up dance professionally and joined the Cairo Modern Dance Theater at the Cairo Opera House. Sarah's desire to understand the mechanics of movement sparked an expansive journey of learning. She pursued multiple certifications, including different Pilates methods, personal training, group fitness and spinning. Sarah delved into the world of STOTT PILATES^® in 2010 with a passion and vigor that allowed her to rapidly complete her courses in succession and become Fully Certified. In 2016, she successfully completed her Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer Course specializing in STOTT PILATES. She also became a CORE^™ and Total Barre^® Qualified Instructor.

Sarah Jarvis joined the Merrithew^® team in 2004 after completing her Full Certification in STOTT PILATES^®. She is now a Merrithew Lead Instructor Trainer and specializes in ZEN•GA^®, Halo^® Training and Total Barre^®. With a background in aerobics and fitness, Sarah brings a dynamic approach to her Pilates teaching. She holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Windsor and is Can-Fit-Pro certified.

Sarah has extensive experience working with various demographics, including individuals with injuries and those with lifelong conditions where movement is crucial for maintaining quality of life. She is particularly passionate about empowering active aging clients. Since becoming certified, she has continually expanded her knowledge through specialized courses and workshops on the fascial system and anatomy, as well as seminars on specific injuries and programming with leading experts in physiotherapy and kinesiology.

“Pilates, for me, has always been about getting people into their bodies. Many people go through their workouts with poor or no activation and little understanding of how their muscles work. It’s my job to help them activate, provide well-balanced workouts, assist in injury prevention and improve posture and overall strength."

In addition to teaching clients, Sarah mentors internationally trained instructors and has represented Merrithew for over a decade, presenting across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Outside of Pilates, Sarah enjoys spinning, HIIT training, traveling, savoring great food and wine, and meeting wonderful people.

A lifelong passion for movement began for Saulo as a competitive gymnast and sports aerobics athlete, where he first understood the profound connection between disciplined physical training and mental focus. This foundation led him to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and work in fitness instruction and strength coaching.

His journey transformed in 2006 upon discovering the Pilates Method. By 2007, he was directing his own studio, seeking a system aligned with biomechanical precision and holistic wellness. This search culminated in 2009 with STOTT PILATES^®, leading him to relocate to São Paulo to immerse himself fully. He became a STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer in 2013 and a Merrithew^® Lead Instructor Trainer in 2017.

Saulo gained further experience at the Merrithew Corporate Training Center in Toronto, contributing to global education until 2020, and later teaching across the Middle East, delivering STOTT PILATES and Total Barre^®. He is also a certified GYROTONIC^® instructor.

Now based in Oxfordshire, UK, Saulo directs his own official Merrithew Host Training Centre, continuing to train instructors and integrate biomechanics and mindful movement into his teaching and practice.

Scilla began her training with STOTT PILATES^® in 2010 at our Licensed Training Center in Italy. She continued on to receive her full certification in 2012 and shortly after began pursuing her STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer designation. She now teaches at the same studio she first trained at, Pilates Italia.

After graduating with a degree in dance, Sehee’s interest in movement naturally led her to Pilates. She began her career as a STOTT PILATES^® instructor and went on to present at major conferences such as IDEA Korea, serve as a BOSU^® Master Trainer and lecture at Yonsei University’s health seminars. She also designed performance enhancement and rehabilitation programs for LPGA and KBL athletes, honing her expertise in sports conditioning.

As the long-time director of Minjoo Pilates, Merrithew^® Host Training Centers in Gwanghwamun and Pangyo, South Korea, Sehee has had the opportunity to work alongside a diverse range of Instructor Trainers and learn from their unique approaches.

Motivated by the impact of quality education and meaningful student interaction, she became a Merrithew Instructor Trainer to share the method more widely and help shape the next generation of instructors.