Jill Hamm
Hello. My name is Jill and I am the owner of The Pilates Place at Lakewood Ranch. I moved to LWR in 2021 and realized there was a need for a Pilates studio that focuses on private sessions and the specific needs of each individual client. I am thrilled to be opening The Pilates Place in the heart of Lakewood Ranch.
I started my Pilates journey in 2015 after struggling to find a workout that truly made me happy. I began training with a Romana Pilates trained Master Instructor in the Florida Keys and immediately realized I had a true passion for the Pilates method. I furthered my Pilates practice through Balanced Body where I worked toward my comprehensive Pilates training certification. Throughout this time I was getting stronger, more confident, and started to have a true appreciation for my body. After completing over 500 hours of Pilates training I made one of the scariest and best decisions to open my own Pilates studio in a small town in Central Illinois- Plank Pilates Studio Morton. The studio quickly grew from a small studio with a few instructors to 2 different locations, 9 instructors, and nearly 1000 clients.
In 2021 my family made the decision to move to the great state of Florida. At that time I sold my studios and started a new life in FL. After only a few months of “retirement” I have decided to start The Pilates Place of Lakewood Ranch and continue to share my love of Pilates.
As for my personal life I share a happy life with my amazing husband Richie, my son Truman, and 3 bonus kids- Kayla, Elijah, and Nixen. I also have two crazy puppies Hank and Theo who drive me crazy daily. In my spare time I enjoy reading, stand up paddle boarding, spending time on the water, traveling, and Pilates (of course). I am so happy to be living in this community and enjoying all that Florida has to offer. I look forward to seeing you in the studio!
Our team.
Sofia Petronio
Hello. My name is Sofia Petronio, and I am thrilled to be teaching Pilates at The Pilates Place at LWR. I am originally a professional Ballet dancer. I started dancing when I was 6 years old and studied at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I later obtained a scholarship to study in Cuba and South Carolina. I worked in the Municipal Ballet in Lima for 6 years and am a certified Ballet instructor through the American Ballet Theatre.
I started doing Pilates as a complement to Ballet when I was 16 years old. I learned to love the Pilates Method and decided to pursue Pilates Instructor training a few years later at CIENSA Argentina. In addition to my certification training, I have extensive Pilates training with renowned Pilates personalities such as Ricardo Jaramillo, Jacob Gomez Vasquez, Mabel Cabrera, Erica Almodovar, Cassia Frade, Eliana Telleria, Fabien Menegon, and Sandra Martinez.
I have 19 years of experience practicing Pilates and more than 8 years teaching it. I have a base of over 30 regular clients, which keeps my schedule busy, but I can always accommodate new clients during cancellations, so don’t hesitate to contact me. I always try to make my clients feel comfortable, challenged, and safe. I strive to ensure my clients leave a session feeling better than when they entered.
I am looking forward to sharing my love of Pilates with you at The Pilates Place at Lakewood Ranch. I am available for sessions Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Our team.
Bek Szymanski
Hi my name is Bek, and I am beyond excited to be teaching at The Pilates Place at Lakewood Ranch. I am here to help guide you to a body you enjoy living in. Whether you are looking to relieve chronic pain or just to enjoy a thorough workout, I am here to help. I am a Pilates Instructor who wholeheartedly believes in, practices, and teaches the Art of Pilates. Pilates fosters emotional well-being, helps improve mobility and muscle strength, helps prevent injury, improves posture, core strength, and the list goes on and on.
I was introduced to Pilates in the beginning of 2019 and immediately fell in love with the Pilates Method. I admired my instructor and her ability to provide a safe place for her students to be vulnerable and move their bodies. I knew from that moment on that I wanted to be a Pilates instructor and create a similar environment. I began my level 1 STOTT Pilates instruction in Metro Detroit and finished at a studio in Tampa after I moved to Florida. Since my initial training I have been teaching consistently and have had the honor of teaching hundreds of students how to safely move their bodies by using the Pilates method.
As a level 1 STOTT Pilates instructor, I integrate STOTT PILATES exercises into each session which are created to rehabilitate the natural curves of the spine and rebalance the muscles around the joints. This is achieved by placing more focus on pelvic stability, scapular stabilization, rib cage placement, head, and cervical placement along with breathing techniques.
My desire is to provide customized training that is individualized for your specific whole body wellness goals in a small setting in which you feel safe. We will work together using STOTT principles and incorporate props, modifications, and various exercises depending on what works best for you. I will teach you how to have mind and body connection, and how to incorporate mindful movement in your everyday life moving forward. I look forward to providing a safe, uplifting, and empowering environment in which you feel capable of learning and growing!
Aside from Pilates, I live a very active lifestyle. I love to play beach volleyball with my friends as often as possible. Anytime I am not playing a sport or teaching Pilates, I am in the gym exercising. I love beach days, playing chess or pool, Saturdays with the girls & church on Sundays. I am very much enjoying this season of my life!
I am so excited to share my love for Pilates and be a part of your wellness journey at the Pilates Place at Lakewood Ranch. I am available for sessions Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Our team.
Georgie Miko
Hi! I am Georgie and I am excited to be joining the team at the Pilates Place at LWR. I was born and raised in Southern California, but moved to FL in the spring of 2023. Although I am fairly new to Lakewood Ranch, I am enjoying the area and I am happy to be here. Before the start of my Pilates journey I was working as an apparel designer and was frequently taking long overseas flights for my profession. These long flights lead to back pain, and I soon turned to Pilates for relief. Thus, my passion for Pilates began based upon a personal need for restorative spinal care. After several years of training with a Pilates Instructor I realized my next step was to get certified so I could begin teaching and sharing the Pilates method of body wellness and self-care.
I began my Pilates teaching journey 16 years ago with a certification through Retrofit Pilates out of Southern California. Throughout my tenure as a Pilates instructor I have taught hundreds of students and I also owned my own studio “pre-covid” which gave me the platform to expand my group classes and private training experience. I am excited to have the opportunity to be in Lakewood Ranch and bring my Pilates technique to Florida. As an instructor I will always bring good energy to class and push each client to do their best!
I am available for sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 4 pm-8 pm as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoons.