Staff Bios

Risa Mathews, MA
Founder & Director
Risa’s personal practice in the Pilates Method began in 1987, whilst studying at SFU, attending dance classes on campus & at the Dance Gallery (Dianne Miller), and working in aquatics for the Vancouver Parks Board.  A chronic knee condition led her to eventually give up dance and begin Pilates at the Dianne Miller studio in 1988.  In 1993 Risa was involved in a motor vehicle accident which left her unable to walk the following year.  The combination of aggressive rehabilitation involving chiropractic, osteopathic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and rehabilitative pilates, assisted the healing process. The focus on personal well-being also set the ground for a change in careers from academics to movement education.

Apprenticeships in a number of established Pilates studios took place in Sydney, Australia, where Risa was attending post-graduate studies in Communication. Her many years of teaching (swimming, aerobics, movement for rehabilitation, as well as teaching in academics) combined with a personal need for ongoing physical rehabilitation, set the foundation needed for moving full-time into physical medicine.  Risa’s first studio “Boditree Physical Conditioning Pilates Studio” opened in 1995 in Sydney, Australia, seeing regular referrals from local Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, Massage Therapists, and Physicians.  In 1999 Risa sold her Sydney studio to return to her hometown of Vancouver, BC, to open Boditree Pilates & Healing in Kitsilano.

Since 1996 Risa has presented workshops in Canada, the US, & Australia, in addition to training and apprenticing Instructors through comprehensive educational programs.  Risa’s work has been greatly influenced by a number of Master Instructors including Ron Fletcher, Dianne Miller, Michelle Larsson, and Marie-Jose Blom Lawrence.  What makes Risa’s work unique is the integration of classical Pilates with pain management techniques found in Osteopathic stretching principles, physical medicine release work, and brain integration exercises developed by Applied Kinesiology (TFH).
 
Risa is a founding member of the Canadian Pilates Association, and served on the Board of Directors for 3 years.
 
Matthias Gustavsson
Program Coordinator, Co-Owner
Matthias was first introduced to the Pilates Method in 1998, and soon entered into an Apprenticeship at the Boditree studio in Sydney, Australia.  Matt’s applications of the work are greatly influenced by his studies of cranial-sacral therapy, functional anatomy, and Specialized Kinesiology. His background includes many years of competitive soccer whilst being raised in Sweden, which gives Matt ample opportunity to explore the more athletic side to Pilates workouts, and understand the rehabilitative needs of competitive athletes.  His seasoned eye for recognizing the origin of imbalances and responding to them with appropriate movement corrections have made him an invaluable asset to Boditree.  Matt’s ongoing study with Master Instructors Marie-Jose Blom Lawrence, Dianne Miller, Michele Larsson, and Mary Bowen, has added further depth to his work and practice of the Method.

Matt is the course convener of Boditree’s Instructor Training Program. He has successfully completed the PMA written exam and is incorporating PMA content into our course, in preparation for Boditree graduates to sit the exam upon completion of their program of study with Boditree. Matt is a former board member of the Pilates Association of Canada, having served on the Board of Directors for 3 years.

Olivia Thorvaldson
Senior Practitioner, Studio Manager
Olivia Thorvaldson began her training in the Pilates Method in 1988 with master teacher Dianne Miller.  Since receiving her Teacher Certification Olivia has worked at several Pilate’s studios including the Dianne Miller Pilates Center (1997-2004), Bodyline, Pilates West Vancouver, and Boditree Pilates & Healing (since 2004).

Presently she divides her time between Boditree Pilates & Healing and the Pilates Studio of Dundarave.   Trained in dance from a young age and having performed as a professional dancer for most of her adult life, Olivia accredits the Pilates Method for sustaining an unusually long dance career by preventing serious injury.  In 1984 after receiving her professional training at Les Grand Superior de Danse du Quebec, she began performing and touring throughout Canada and internationally, with numerous dance companies as well as an independent dancer and choreographer.

Having retired from performing in September 2005, Olivia’s experience as a dance artist naturally influences her interpretation of the Pilates Method.  Believing that the discipline of the Method has been a consistent support for her own maintenance, creativity, and self-awareness, central to Olivia’s approach is the practice of working “in process” with the changing and evolving needs of clients. 

She has been influenced to date by several master teachers including Ron Fletcher, Michelle Larsson, Marie Jose Bloom Lawrence, and undoubtedly, by countless practitioners, dancers, choreographers, and clients alike.

Eleanor Ho, BSci
Certified Pilates Instructor
Eleanor graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in dietetics from UBC in 2004. Eleanor has received training in Chinese Qi-Gong and a variety of dance styles, from ballet to Middle Eastern; however her experience with the Pilates Method of conditioning has benefited and changed her life so profoundly, that she decided to make it her life long career, after only a few sessions.

As a severe asthmatic since childhood, Eleanor is particularly interested in and has benefited from the deep healing aspects of the method. As an avid amateur dancer, she especially enjoys the athletic side of the work. After being a client at Boditree for 2 years, Eleanor started her formal education with Boditree’s certification course, graduating in 2006, and teaching regularly since. To further her understanding in the complexities of the moving body, she has taken classes in floor barre, workshops in orthobionomy, the Franklin Method, and also in Pilates with Marie Jose Blom Lawrence. In addition, she attends regular classes in Laban Movement Analysis, Bartenieff Principles, and participates in ongoing training at the Boditree studio.

Stephanie Parent
Certified Pilates Instructor
Pilates first started as a way to improve my career in modern dance, but eventually, I discovered that through a dedicated practice, Pilates really was a tool to find and unleash one’s own power. So I kept studying at the Boditree studio with wonderful teachers, and practicing deeper and deeper (the learning does not end, that is the beauty of the work !). I have since been blessed to be able to guide many students through their own journey of self-discovery and transformation as they are committing to the Pilates practice. I completed my certification in the Method at Boditree in 2006, and have continued my ongoing education with workshops at Boditree, in addition to attending workshops, classes, and movement seminars as I travel around the world working in the airline industry. When in town, you will find me teaching, and working out at Boditree.

Trina Eby
Senior Practitioner
Bio coming soon!

Christine Halicki
Certified Pilates Instructor
Bio coming soon!

Anita Kalyanpur, MSCi
Certified Pilates Instructor
Bio coming soon!