Katie Will – North River Pilates
What do you do?
I own my own Pilates Studio, North River Pilates, and am a Certified Pilates Teacher. I teach Pilates mat classes, group Reformer classes, and private Pilates equipment sessions. But what do I ‘really’ do? I show up to my Studio every day as my imperfectly beautiful vulnerable self and guide the women that I am blessed to work with to do the same. I try to make everyone who walks through the door feel better in their bodies and about themselves. We don’t do body shame or perfect striving. We embrace how the movements feel to us not how they look. We try to find our own ideal alignment-which looks different for everyone and that is okay. We laugh…a lot…maybe more than we ‘should.’ We challenge ourselves…physically and mentally. And we love…ourselves…our bodies…and each other.
What education, classes or training were helpful to you?
My Pilates Teacher Training at Studio B Pilates in Stevens Point was the catalyst and cornerstone for my movement education. Amy Beversdorf provides a top-notch education experience that we are blessed to have in the Central Wisconsin area. I also credit all of the not so great, kick you down, rainy day experiences in my life. So often we look for the next degree or certification to provide us what we need. While those things are great and extremely helpful our own life experiences-especially the challenging ones-provide us true wisdom. I try to gain something from everything that I go through…it’s a choice and an empowering one at that.
What do you like best about your job?
Helping people through the not so great stuff. Whether it be chronic pain, an injury, a bad day, self doubt, anxiety, or even cancer. Everyone deserves a safe space to go through their dark days in.
What advice would you give girls who want to get into your field?
When I first started teaching Pilates I thought that I needed to have the ‘perfect body’ in order to be taken seriously as an instructor. Not true! How you feel about how you look is more important than how you actually look. It’s okay to strive to create more health in your body but don’t shame yourself there. “The way you talk to yourself is the way you speak to your soul.”
Anything else we should know?
Pilates isn’t like anything else when it comes to movement. Most people, even extremely fit individuals, are shocked to feel muscles they never even knew that they had. When you put the bones in the right place, activate the proper muscles, breathe…huge shifts occur.
Thank you Katie Will!
To read more interviews with local wonder women, check out the Wunderfrauen Archive.