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.
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.