Hilery Avritt, Mount Baker
Hilery began practicing Pilates in 1998 when she utilized the method to rehabilitate her back from an auto accident. She soon discovered her body was stronger, more flexible and healthier than before the accident. She became inspired to study Pilates and the human body further, and began teaching Pilates in 2000. Hilery opened Vitality Pilates in 2001 and heads our Instructor Certification and Personal Enrichment Program. Hilery recently created a new motivation and fitness program, Habitually Fit and works exclusively with private clients.

For information regarding Habitually Fit, please click the link.

Christine Fosmire, Mount Baker
Christine’s first fitness love was running. She ran competitively in the Colorado Mountain Race Circuit for several years and considers some of her biggest achievements in life to have placed second in the Pikes Peak Marathon and winning the Telluride Get High Ultramarathon (wow!).

After the birth of her son Sam, Christine worked off her pregnancy weight with a jogging stroller until she developed a serendipitous knee injury, which brought her to Pilates training with Karen Clippinger. Christine quickly fell in love with the method and after 10 years of personal Pilates practice and much encouragement from friends and family, she decided to make a career move. Christine enrolled in instructor training and after graduation she began to teach Pilates at Vitality. Christine also dedicated a year to interning at Vitality’s School of Instructor Certification and now spends her weekends training soon to be instructors in the art of teaching Pilates.

Christine feels like she has found the ideal career in teaching Pilates. The flexibility of her schedule allows her to spend time with her son and wear sweatpants to work! The most rewarding aspect of teaching for Christine is the joy she experiences in seeing her client’s feel healthier and empowered through Pilates training.

In Christine’s own words “Teaching Pilates feels like a perfect fit for me. I hope to provide a challenging and supportive atmosphere for others to experience the power and benefits Pilates provides.”

Tiffany Galer Phinney Ridge
Tiffany was first drawn to Pilates because of its fluidity and the invigorated feeling she left class with. She quickly found relief from a chronic shoulder problem caused by 5 years of drafting as a Landscape Architect and began noticing a deeper awareness of her body’s movement patterns along with improved strength and posture. Feeling so excited by her own experiences, Tiffany felt eager to help others feel similar benefits; she graduated from Vitality Pilates' Instructor Certification program and feels very fulfilled by her change in career path. Tiffany enjoys seeing clients walk out of their sessions smiling, feeling rejuvenated and excited about the improvements they feel physically and emotionally. When she’s not in the studio, Tiffany may be found enjoying good music, kayaking, hiking and other fun outdoor adventures or at home refining her ice cream making skills.

Mari LaRocca, Phinney Ridge
Born and raised in Ballard, Mari has spent most of her life dancing. She grew up taking ballet classes and originally discovered Pilates as a great way to strengthen the body and cross-train for ballet. Mari decided to pursue dance in college and attended Texas Christian University, in Fort Worth, where she received a BFA in Ballet & Modern Dance. After graduation, she moved back to Seattle and joined Vitality’s Teacher Training Program. During the course of training Mari realized how much she enjoys helping others experience the many benefits of Pilates. In addition to teaching, Mari dances with Redd Legg Dance and spends as much time as possible outdoors with friends and family.

Melissa Keadle, Mount Baker
Melissa was drawn to Pilates as a means of physical recovery after a near fatal car accident that occurred in October of 1999. After years of frustration and little progress made through physical therapy, Melissa discovered that with modifications to many of the Pilates exercises she could challenge herself physically at a level that she never had thought would be possible again. Her success in Pilates drew her to the Instructor Certification Program at Vitality, where she now teaches and enjoys sharing her passion of Pilates with others. Outside of teaching Pilates, Melissa enjoys working out at the gym, going to spin class, and spending time outdoors with her two dogs, Bo and Bella.

Anne Kosugi, Mount Baker
Anne originally began practicing Pilates as a little girl during ballet warm up, but didn’t know it was Pilates at the time and continued to use it as a cross training method throughout her dance career. Once she stopped pursuing a strictly ballet career, Anne picked Pilates back up to learn more about her body and rehabilitate some of the wear dancing had inflicted upon it. She quickly realized she wanted to help others learn how to take care of their bodies, while continuing to learning more. Anne is also interested in the breathing aspects of Pilates and its effects on how the whole body functions.

In addition to dance and Pilates, Anne has experience with trapeze and acrobatics.

Bianca Maggio, Mount Baker
Bianca is experienced in working with clients of varied abilities and skill levels, from physical therapy patients in India to professional dancers in Seattle. She received her Pilates certification in 2003 from Stott Education, and also holds a BA in Dance from the University of Washington. Bianca currently instructs Vitality’s Instructor Certification and Personal Enrichment Program students and is pursuing a degree in physical therapy.

Sharon Pickens-Green, Phinney Ridge, Mount Baker
Sharon originally worked in the service industry, a job that ultimately requires a healthy amount of athleticism, coordination, and focus. She found Pilates training to be an eye opening experience. It taught her choreographed athleticism and coordination on a large scale while molding her body to feel stronger, safer and more supported. Hooked after her very first lesson, Sharon enrolled in Vitality’s Instructor Certification Program at Mount Baker Studio in 2006.
In the classroom, Sharon’s teaching focuses on each Pilate’s principle individually allowing her students to strengthen through proper form. Students who like to "go, go, go" will find their swiftness give way to controlled movements. Sharon is most excited about the far-reaching, abstract, holistic approach of Pilates which proves it is a discipline/art and an origin of health. She believes building a strong body as quickly as possible to support and inspire a healthy lifestyle is of utmost importance. Sharon plans on continuing her studies of coordination and breath as an advanced area of focus in the future.

Meredith Redmon, Phinney Ridge
Looking for an activity that could tie together running, skiing, rafting, knitting, and day to day life, Meredith came across Pilates in 2006. Since then Pilates has turned out to be much more than just another hobby. The increased mind body awareness (and many other benefits) resulting from Pilates lead Meredith to enroll in and complete Vitality’s Teacher Training program. Along with teaching, Meredith continually works to deepen her own understanding of Pilates and loves to help clients discover its benefits and grow within their own practice. In addition to teaching Introductory and Multi Level classes, Meredith also pioneered Vitality’s fall Ski Pilates program, designed specifically for local skiers and snowboarders of all fitness levels.

Nicole Writt, Phinney Ridge
Nicole was born and raised in the suburbs west of Chicago. She was drawn to Pilates by her lifelong fascination with health and fitness. Nicole is passionate about helping others build core strength in the deep abdominal and spinal muscles, as well as increasing body awareness to encourage efficient alignment during activity and rest. She strives to create a nurturing and stimulating environment in her classroom. Nicole lives in Phinney Ridge and during her downtime you’ll find her walking around the neighborhood with her dog, Scout, or hanging out at home with her boyfriend.