S1 Ep06 Kimberley Garlick, Committee member introduction

This episode of the Pilates Association Australia Podcast introduces newly elected committee member Kimberley Garlick, studio owner, senior Polestar educator and long-time industry leader. In conversation with host Bruce Hildebrand, Kimberley traces her journey from ballet and human movement into Pilates, layering in decades of additional study in neurolinguistics, bioenergetics, kinesiology, massage and yoga. She speaks candidly about what motivated her to “put her hand up” for the PAA committee after nearly 30 years of teaching — a desire to stop waiting for someone else to create change, and instead step directly into the process of shaping the industry’s future. From there, the discussion moves into Kimberley’s aspirations for her term on the committee. She identifies membership growth as a top priority — not as a vanity metric, but as the foundation for a strong, representative industry body that can advocate effectively for Pilates. She talks about engaging the younger generation of instructors (including those she mentors through Polestar and even her own daughter), lifting education standards across diverse training organisations, and working instrumentally rather than emotionally to bring coherence to a fragmented training landscape. Rather than criticising individual providers, she wants to help create clear, shared benchmarks so that all education pathways support a credible, respected profession. Kimberley and Bruce also explore broader themes: listening deeply to clients instead of assuming based on appearance; nurturing vulnerable new teachers instead of “crushing” them; and protecting the subtle, mindful nature of Pilates in a culture addicted to intensity and quick fixes. They reflect on how the method has exploded into the mainstream — sometimes in diluted forms — and why the reinstatement of health fund rebates and clearer industry standards are such pivotal steps. Kimberley is optimistic that, with collaboration under the PAA “umbrella,” the industry can move from merely adapting to survive toward truly thriving, building an organisation and a profession designed to last not just 10 years, but the next hundred. PAA Course Competency Criteria standardsVisit the PAA website Find us on  Facebook Join the PAA Member Forum (Members  only)Find us on InstagramEmail us at [email protected]