APPI education board

Glenn Withers

APPI`s co-founder and current residing director Glenn is the chair of the educational board and oversees the development of the institutes curriculum. The board meets 4 times a year and reviews all aspects of the curriculum, responds to feedback from both members and presenters, and is focused on continually developing this world leading program.

Elisa Withers

APPI co-founder Elisa is vice-chair of the educational board. Elisa was rsponsible for the original curriculum and ensures that the ethos of the early programs are maintained through the additions of the latest reserch. Elisa has a strong background in both dance and physiotherapy, ensuring that the movement qualities of pilates is coherently moulded with the science of physiotherapy.

Sarah Todd

Sarah holds a Bachelor`s degree in Applied Science (Health Promotion) & has completed numerous business courses in both Entrepreneurship & Marketing. Sarah is also a fully qualified Fitness Instructor both in the U.K (REPS) and Australia (Fitness Australia) and teaches Pilates on a regular basis. Sarah’s role is to further develop and expand the APPI as it continues to grow both nationally and internationally.

Dawn Leibe

Dawn qualified from Kings College London in 2000, after graduating she speciliased in outpatients and completed an MACP masters degree in 2006. Dawn joined the team at Pilates Art Hampstead where she was able to expand the Pilates she had previously been using from the APPI courses. Dawn has been lucky enough to present for the APPI in Brazil, and all over the UK, she now runs her own physio and Pilates studio by the seaside in Hove.

Leslie Abrahams

Leslie qualified with honours in 1998 from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He also has a post graduate diploma in Sports Physiotherapy. Leslie has worked and owned Private Practices both in South Africa and the United Kingdom. He specializes in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation and has a keen interest in lumbo-pelvic stability dysfunction and lower limb biomechanics. He has done all his Pilates training through the APPI and has been presenting the courses across Europe and internationally since 2008. Leslie currently runs his own Physiotherapy Clinic and Pilates Studio in London. He has previously worked as Clinical Manager within the APPI at our treatment centres in Hampstead and Wimbledon. He has also previously worked and travelled with high level athletes in the field of cycling and volleyball.

Nicky Croft

Nicky graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy, from the University of Otago, New Zealand, in 2000. Nicky moved to Sydney, Australia soon after graduating. Here she worked in a Private Practise, this incorporated instructing Physiocise classes as well as outpatient physiotherapy care and hydrotherapy. On arriving in the UK in 2003, Nicky has worked in both the NHS and continued her Pilates work in the Private Sector at `Embody Pilates`. Nicky is currently working fulltime at Pilates Art in Hampstead.

John Contreras

John has always had an interest in high level rehabilitation and exercise therapy. So after graduating from the School of Physiotherapy at The University of Melbourne in 2001, John continued his studies in muscle physiology to complete his Bachelor of Science the following year. Being a registered Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer both in Australia and the UK, he became Master Trainer at Holmes Place Kensington. John is currently the state manager for Australia and has been presenting internationally for the APPI since 2006.

Catherine Ketsimur

Catherine completed her Bachelor of Physiotherapy (‘94) at the University of Queensland, where she initially developed an interest in muscle control and stability training due to the research occurring at UQ at this time. This interest led her to start working with Pilates in 1999. She has trained in equipment and matwork based Pilates, which she integrates into her daily clinical management.

Fiona Kearsley

Fiona trained in Glasgow and graduated in 1981. Initially, Fiona worked at Stoke Mandeville Hospital gaining experience at the National Spinal Injuries Unit and other major specialities including orthopaedics and musculoskeletal conditions. A keen interest in sports medicine led Fiona to investigate the power of Pilates as a treatment.