The practice of pilates proved a life-changer for 27-year-old Renee Clark, a legally blind woman based in Thames, New Zealand.
She sought out classes at the age of 20 to rebuild her body. “I had bad posture from hunching over trying to read and I thought I would give it a go,” she told the Fairfax New Zealand News recently.
But after her instructor left town, she felt compelled to step up and learn how to teach pilates herself. “The rest is history,really” she said to her local newspaper.
However, to become a full-fledged official instructor, she must travel to Toronto, Canada to sit her final exam. To achieve this goal, she’s soliciting contributions to enable her to afford to take the flight and she would become the world’s first visually impaired certified pilates instructor.
However, to become a full-fledged official instructor, she must travel to Toronto, Canada to sit her final exam. To achieve this goal, she’s soliciting contributions to enable her to afford to take the flight and she would become the world’s first visually impaired certified pilates instructor.
Her plan to get certified is just one of several dreams she’s achieved. She’s already a certified personal trainer and holistic lifestyle coach. “I have always had the attitude that if you want to do something, then just go and do it,” she contends.
Clark, who was born visually impaired to parents who carried recessive genes, and her guide-dog Fern can be seen daily in the streets of Thames on the way to work.
Clark, who was born visually impaired to parents who carried recessive genes, and her guide-dog Fern can be seen daily in the streets of Thames on the way to work.
Her practice has gained popularity with up to 20 clients ranging from 19 to 76 years old. With a little peripheral sight at her disposal, she must rely on touch to make sure her students’ technique is correct. It makes her more in-tune with the body, they say.
Dianne Carter, one of three teachers Clark has had over the years, says she tends to see “very clearly” through her touch assessments.
“We are all very proud of her, she has shown incredible commitment and because of that we are all equally keen to do our best for her in return,” Carter told the Fairfax New Zealand News.
That her parents carried the recessive genes that caused her visual impairment is rare. As a result, she’s got an older sister who has perfect vision and another born visually impaired. But Clark has by far the worst eyesight of them all.
Because she’s nearly blind, Clark faces challenges that her sighted colleagues don’t. She must translate the certification materials — eleven pilates manuals — into Braille and back again.
Because she’s nearly blind, Clark faces challenges that her sighted colleagues don’t. She must translate the certification materials — eleven pilates manuals — into Braille and back again.
She’s currently raising the $4,000 needed to get to Canada. She taking another New Zealand-based instructor along with her instead of her dog for logistical reasons. She’s worried the trek would be “too daunting” for Fern.
Once Clark has passed her final exam, she hopes to eventually go into training pilates instructors.
