BE WELCOMED. BE EMPOWERED. BE STRONG.
MEET THE COREWORKS TEAM
Our ability to tune into individual personal plans within a shared class environment (semi-private or group mat) at our Pilates studio in Toronto is what sets our team apart.
Our Pilates teachers guide each client through a program of exercises unique to their goals, ensuring a non-stop flow of exercises, corrective cues and encouragement. It’s personal programming, even in a group setting.
Our experienced registered Physiotherapists are not only skilled manual therapists who can help you get back on your feet, their curiosity, interest and dedication to using Pilates as a main treatment provides a collaborative treatment environment that helps you hit your goals faster.
BE WELCOMED. BE EMPOWERED. BE STRONG.
MEET THE COREWORKS TEAM
Our ability to tune into individual personal plans within a shared class environment (semi-private or group mat) at our Pilates studio in Toronto is what sets our team apart.
Our Pilates teachers guide each client through a program of exercises unique to their goals, ensuring a non-stop flow of exercises, corrective cues and encouragement. It’s personal programming, even in a group setting.
Our experienced registered Physiotherapists are not only skilled manual therapists who can help you get back on your feet, their curiosity, interest and dedication to using Pilates as a main treatment provides a collaborative treatment environment that helps you hit your goals faster.
Meet the team at CoreWorks
Heather O'Donnell - Studio owner & director
Heather began her Pilates career in London, England in 2005 when she found herself burnt out in her corporate career in the beauty industry.
Hungry for more authentic connections with people, she signed up for a MAT Pilates teacher training course as a hobby. She loved it so much, she decided to do a fully comprehensive training course and shift her career to become a full-time Pilates instructor.
After completing the Body Arts and Science International (BASI) Comprehensive Course in 2006, Heather taught at several studios around London and opened her own studio, In Touch Pilates, in 2008.
In 2011, Heather sold In Touch Pilates and emigrated with her family to Toronto.
Here in Toronto, Heather discovered a more therapeutic approach to Pilates while working at Pilates Process (previously Riverdale Pilates), which led her to open CoreWorks in 2014. Her vision was to provide Pilates and physiotherapy to people who wanted to get back to living their best lives, and her mission was to help her clients build confidence through strength.
That ethos remains at the heart of CoreWorks today.
Heather has continued to upgrade her Pilates skills and knowledge by attending continuing education courses and workshops.
Most recently she became a PMA® Certified Pilates Teacher (Pilates Method Alliance®) and is currently on the path to becoming a BASI Pilates faculty.
Heather loves working with people and enjoys teaching all levels of Pilates on the mat and the equipment. She thrives when she’s surrounded by the CoreWorks community that she’s built over the past 10 years, and gets a real buzz from seeing her clients doing activities they weren’t able to do prior to their time at CoreWorks.
Outside of the studio she loves to spend time in nature with her two kids, her friends and her dog, Charlie.
Christina Fairhurst - Pilates instructor & studio manager
Having undergone multiple surgeries in the course of one year, Christina was experiencing weakness in her core (along with many other muscular imbalances), which made her recovery challenging.
As part of her post-surgery rehabilitation, Christina tried Pilates on the advice of her physiotherapist. She was amazed at the difference she felt after just a few sessions. This incredible shift, along with the mentorship and support of a close friend who was a longtime Pilates instructor, led to her decision to certify in Pilates.
Having experienced first-hand the positive change that Pilates made in her body, she wanted to help people in their pursuit of improved mobility, health and wellness.
Christina holds certifications in Mat, Reformer and Chair from Pilates Process, as well as a Therapeutic Pilates certification.
She continues to expand her knowledge of movement and the body through her own research, as well as specialised courses and workshops through Pilates Process, Franklin Method, The Neuro Studio, and Melanie Byford-Young Education.
Christina was born and raised right here in Toronto, but has also spent time living abroad and working in the place of her parents’ origin – Prague, Czech Republic.
Christina’s first passion is music, for which she received her Bachelor degree from York University. While at university, she was the lead singer of a local indie band. She also has a background working in the non-profit sector.
In her spare time, Christina enjoys spending time with friends, hikes and bike rides with her husband and two daughters, swimming in Ontario’s beautiful lakes, travelling, boxing classes, and watching movies.
Amy Hampton - Pilates instructor
Amy is a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher with a diverse movement background. A back injury brought her to Pilates 25 years ago and she has never looked back!
She studied ballet at L'École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec in Montreal and spent the next two decades working in a contemporary dance studio in Toronto.
She is certified as an instructor with Body Harmonics and Pilates for Life and has been teaching group classes and individual sessions for over 12 years. She has taught at Body Harmonics, the Mayfair Club (Lakeshore), City Dance Corps, Loft Cycle Club, Trainers Fitness, Venice Fitness, and privately for individual clients.
She is certified in Pilates for Pregnancy and is pursuing her Post–Rehab certificate with Body Harmonics.
Mayana Clugston - Pilates instructor
Mayana Clugston originally hails from Cape Breton Island and has been helping people for over 18 years to free up restrictions and move forward with ease and vitality.
Mayana has a very diverse background in movement, involved for many years in competitive athletics, dance training and performance, as well as extensive rehab experience and training.
With an interest in the mind-body connection, Mayana studied Kinesiology and Psychology at the University of New Brunswick, receiving awards as a student Athletic Therapy Trainer and Varsity Cross-country Runner. Pilates mat and Equipment Certified with Janet Lemon - Movement for Health, Mayana is currently studying with Art of Motion - Anatomy in Motion (Anatomy Trains), Slings Myofascial Training, Contemporary Pilates and Movement Education.
Skilled with years of experience as a wellness practitioner with advanced training in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, as well as her Master level in Traditional Usui Reiki and a background as a Personal Trainer - with a calm energy and encouraging nature Mayana enjoys making a positive difference in people’s lives. Clients leave feeling rejuvenated and 'put back together', ready to take on the many demands of life with a strong, balanced center.
In her spare time Mayana enjoys outdoor adventures, running, meditating, singing and songwriting, dancing, good laughs and great food with family and friends.
Heather Tay - Pilates instructor
Heather Tay has been practising Pilates for over 14 years. She started when looking for solutions to help manage pain from a chronic neck and shoulder injury.
She quickly fell in love with how tailored and specific Pilates can be, and how much practicing increased not only her strength, but her own body awareness.
She decided to learn to teach pilates to both help herself and to help others reduce or prevent pain in their bodies.
Heather became a certified instructor through Pilates Process in Toronto and has completed additional workshops including: therapeutic movement and both Foot Collective and Franklin workshops focusing on feet. Heather originally studied electrical engineering (HBASc, University of Waterloo) and business (MBA, McGill university).
She’s held executive positions in San Francisco and Toronto and understands first-hand the toll that modern corporate work can take on the body, and how well suited Pilates is to address much of that.
"I know how hard it is to be in constant pain, to have it affect so many aspects of your life, and the challenge of the ups and downs of the healing journey. And I know how miraculous it can feel to find ways out of it."
Tammy Moreau - Pilates Instructor
Dancing since the age of 4, it was during her time as a competitive dancer that Tammy fell in love with Pilates.
Fascinated with the mind-body connection, Pilates helped her with rehabilitation and shaped her current career and lifestyle.
She later completed her comprehensive Pilates training with Body Harmonics in 2020.
While working within different platforms, she enjoyed seeing positive changes in her clients' bodies and the emotional release they would feel after moving.
Driven to learn more about the body, she went on to complete her ELDOA Student Practitioner Level 1&2 in 2020. This allowed her to deepen her understanding of the body and the benefits of a healthy spine.
She is a true believer that everyone should live a pain-free life.
Romtin Shaaban-Khamseh - Registered Physiotherapist
MPT, Specialized Honours BSc. Kin
Romtin graduated from Western University with a Masters of Physical Therapy in 2015 and prior to that, from York University with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology.
During his years of studying health and learning through his personal health journey, Romtin has grown an appreciation for the holistic nature of human function and form. As such, he strives to restore balance throughout the entire body in order to optimize function.
After a thorough full body assessment using both active and passive movements, Romtin uses a combination of therapeutic exercises, gentle soft tissue and joint mobilizations, acupuncture/dry needling, and taping, with the ultimate goal of getting his patients back to doing the things that are important to them.
Romtin is currently undergoing further training at the Canadian College of Osteopathy. Osteopathy is a holistic and gentle manual approach that assists the body to return to normal health and function. It is holistic because it involves every system in the body and aims to optimize their relationships with one another. It is gentle because it involves listening to the body and only inducing motions that the body is accepting of. It consists of sustained light pressure or traction in order to coax the body back to healthy expression.
Outside of focusing on the health and wellbeing of his clients, Romtin likes to spend his time watching NBA basketball, exercising, and meditating.
Jennifer Jackson - Registered Physiotherapist
Jennifer has been a physiotherapist in out-patient physiotherapy since 2005. She has her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and has a Masters degree in Physiotherapy from McMaster University. She has completed various post-graduate courses in manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and acupuncture.
Jennifer has worked in various settings including out-patient orthopedics in hospital as well as in private care. In 2016, she also began providing home care for clients with various needs, including post-surgical rehabilitation, post-fracture rehabilitation, mobility assessment and safe home practices.
Jennifer’s belief that 'movement is medicine' is the cornerstone of her approach to treatment as she guides people towards improved function and quality of life.
With 10 years of experience under our belts serving Leslieville and Toronto’s East End, we’re established, experienced and can help you reach your health and fitness goals by getting to the root of your problem. Our Pilates teachers guide each client through a program of exercises unique to their goals, ensuring a non-stop flow of exercises, corrective cues and encouragement. It’s personal programming, even in a group setting.
We provide a collaborative approach to treating, strengthening and improving your WHOLE body through Pilates and manual therapy.
