AUSactive National Awards Program 2026 Pilates Professional of the Year — Finalist Recognising excellence in Pilates education and professional practice

Kath has worked in movement and rehabilitation for more than 30 years and has taught Pilates for over two decades. Beyond her role at Aligned for Life, she is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Senior Faculty Educator with National Pilates Training, where she teaches and mentors both emerging and experienced practitioners.

Her work spans rehabilitation, chronic pain, neurological conditions, pregnancy and postnatal care, healthy ageing, adolescent athletes and return-to-sport programming. She also contributes to the broader industry through educator development, professional mentoring, published articles and national presentations, including an AUSactive webinar that attracted more than 500 registrations.

Recognition of a Team Commitment

This nomination is not only about Kath. It also reflects the standard our entire Aligned for Life team works to uphold every day.

Pilates is a complex movement method, and skilled teaching requires far more than knowing a set of exercises. Comprehensive, accredited training builds a genuine understanding of anatomy, movement, assessment, programming, adaptation and clinical reasoning. It develops the judgement to know when an exercise needs to be modified, when a client requires additional support and when they are ready to be appropriately progressed or challenged.

This means moving beyond simply making an exercise harder and instead selecting the right progression, resistance, complexity or movement demand to help each client continue building strength, confidence and capacity safely. It also enables instructors to recognise when referral to another health professional is appropriate.

Every instructor at Aligned for Life holds a comprehensive Pilates qualification, with a Diploma as our minimum standard. Many have completed, or are working towards, an Advanced Diploma, alongside ongoing mentoring and professional development.

That depth of training is what makes a truly individualised approach possible. Whether a client is recovering from surgery, managing a health condition, returning to sport or simply wanting to stay strong and active, their program is built around their body, goals and stage of life.

Being named a finalist is a lovely acknowledgement of Kath’s contribution to Pilates education and practice. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the collective expertise of our team and the value of choosing comprehensively trained Pilates professionals.

We’re incredibly proud of Kath, our instructors and the thoughtful, skilled work they do every day to help our clients move with greater confidence.