Melissa M.
Melissa holds numerous professional qualifications, including
being a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (Canadian School of
Natural Nutrition, 2010), BASI® Pilates Fully Certified Instructor,
STOTT PILATES® Certified Matwork and Reformer Instructor, TRX®
Suspension Trainer and Yoga Instructor (YTT 200hr
YogaSpace).
Melissa entered the fitness industry in 2002 as a Personal
Trainer. Curious about Pilates, Melissa took her first Pilates
Matwork class in 2003. From that first class, Melissa was hooked
and realized there was so much more to learn and offer her clients
- so she decided to pursue Pilates professionally.
Throughout her career she has had the opportunity to work with a
variety of students, ranging from: new and soon-to-be
moms, breast cancer survivors, athletes, the aging
population, and clients with special needs
(scoliosis, Multiple Sclerosis, spinal rehabilitation, low
back pain, postural problems, injury rehabilitation). Melissa
takes pride in helping her clients develop more body awareness
and strength, creating a foundation for transforming everyday
movement patterns and improving their daily
lives. Her enthusiasm and creativity bring fun and
energetic classes to Beach Pilates, where she has been teaching
since its origin in 2013. Melissa has done countless trainings
over the years and continues to “be the student” in order
to deepen her understanding and better teach her clients. She
looks forward to seeing you in class!
I’ve done some research. It looks like there are about 200
licensed Pilates instructors in the City of Toronto. Most of those
instructors practice in the downtown core, close to where I work.
By my estimation, there are about 150 Pilates instructors, in
Toronto, that are closer to me than where I meet Melissa, in the
east end of Toronto. It doesn’t
matter. Once a week, I hop on a bike and ride 30
minutes from downtown out to the east end for the privilege to have
Melissa instruct and train me. Then I hop on a bike and make the
30-minute return trip back to work. I tried to avoid
all of these bike rides. I really did. I tried other instructors,
group classes. Even going without my weekly Pilates session for a
while. No one I’ve met is as good as Melissa at what she does.
She’s knowledgeable. Empathetic. Funny. Understanding.
Inspirational. - Trevor Hardy
I met Melissa when I signed up for Post-Natal Pilates after
I had my first child. Those classes were one of the best parts of
my mat leave and made a huge impact on my recovery and overall
health. I enjoyed Melissa’s classes so much that I continued taking
her Pilates and TRX classes after my leave ended and right through
my second pregnancy. I can’t wait to go back to postnatal classes
and continue practicing with her! - Paula Kulpa
