From Student to Teacher: How Pilates Changed One Patient’s Life
Rebecca found her love of running after college and competed in her first marathon in 1999, her hometown Chicago Marathon. By running without a coach or formal training plan, she was injured post-race and didn’t run any marathons until she resumed running regularly after her second child was born. She was living in DC and found Sandra Timmons of Pacer’s B&RB Running Group, who led a women's long distance training group. Adopting Sandra’s training approach, which included cross-training like cycling, swimming, yoga, Pilates, and massage, in addition to incorporating recovery/rest periods helped Rebecca breakthrough to faster paces. After that, Rebecca became a competitive runner, competing in 8 marathons and two triathlons. She found balance through cross-training and reached goals that she had not believed were possible, such as winning the female division in the Race for Respect 5K in 2014 and frequently placing in the top ten females category in local DC races.
In 2009, Rebecca met Linda Wirtz and credited her ability to drop 15-35 minutes per marathon from her finishing times with her weekly to bi-weekly Pilates Reformer classes that incorporated powerful core training and stretching combined with Coach Sandy's expertise. By the time she ran the New Orleans Marathon in February 2014, Rebecca had shaved nearly two hours off her first marathon time finishing with a time of 3:35:01, qualifying her for the Boston Marathon in April 2015. This was a lifetime goal for her. However, following the Boston Marathon, Rebecca struggled with autoimmune issues that caused a significant loss of function in her legs and left side. Several months later, Rebecca returned to Pilates Reformer with Linda Wirtz at Bull Dawg Athletic Training and Physical Therapy. Within three weeks, she found her energy and core returning and began to run regularly again. Rebecca continued this powerful work with Linda and discovered her passion for Pilates growing.
So, in 2017, Rebecca started her Pilates Reformer Instructor training. Today, she is a Pilates Mat, Reformer, Chair, Trapeze Table, Ladder, Barrel and Arc Instructor at Bull Dawg, specializing in exercise for neurological conditions. She is a lifelong learner and stays current on the research for exercise and health conditions so she can incorporate timely approaches for each person. She works to spread the power of Pilates, believing it can transform your body and allow you to reach your full potential. The power of Pilates continues to shape her as she works to complete marathons in all 50 states.
Learn more about Pilates at Bull Dawg Athletic Training and Physical Therapy, or contact us for more information.
