Instructor Spotlight: Camie Wray
We speak with Pilates Instructor Camie Wray about her Pilates career to date.
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your Pilates background
My name is Camie Wray and I live in Pleasant Grove, Utah, USA. I own and teach at Mountain West Pilates in Pleasant Grove, UT. Mountain West Pilates has been a boutique group fitness studio for four years now. Since I am a millennial, I have to use a Harry Potter reference to best describe me. My friends pegged me as a Gryffindor years ago. I am courageous and determined but am also an extroverted introvert. I do things that scare me but that is what has given me the amazing life and experiences I have. I frequently take big leaps before thinking it all the way through. I often have a “we’ll figure it out as we go” mentality. This has served me well in many instances! It has also created some big, “Oh crap!” moments for me over the years. Despite it all, I have always known without a doubt that anything I want to accomplish is possible. I have run multiple marathons, I opened a studio in the middle of a pandemic, I am now raising four small children, and I have travelled internationally with my husband by my side. I truly do believe that humans are magical and we have the ability to create our dream lives. It won’t be easy– the best things in life aren’t–but I think that having a vision for your life and a bit of optimism can make all the difference!
2. How did you discover Pilates?
I started teaching barre and mat pilates right after I graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah in 2015. I discovered my love for pilates while teaching there and decided to further my pilates training. I spent a couple of weeks looking into Pilates certifications and I decided on the STOTT PILATES method. I was fortunate enough to have a STOTT PILATES Training Center less than one hour away from me in Salt Lake City so I signed up for a course. While there, my mentor and a Lead Instructor for Merrithew, Jenny Carr, introduced me to the reformer. It was love at first sight! I immediately started reformer pilates and soon did the STOTT PILATES Intensive Reformer Course. At the time, the closest reformer studio to me was almost a half hour away from my home. I knew how incredibly impactful reformer pilates was so I decided to start offering reformer pilates out of my basement. I purchased a used reformer and turned a spare room in our house into a pilates studio. My business grew through word of mouth but knew that I wasn’t quite creating the impact I knew reformer pilates could have so I decided to look into finding a commercial space where I could offer group classes. After months of searching, I finally found a space on Main Street in my town. One week before our studio was supposed to open, the state of Utah shut down all nonessential businesses because of COVID-19. I had just spent a large amount purchasing brand new reformers and equipment for my studio and was locked into a commercial lease without the ability to open my business. I was devastated. Like so many other fitness professionals at the time, I switched to a temporary online platform and started offering barre and mat pilates classes while people were quarantining. In April of 2021, we moved to a larger space where we could have 10 reformers. Less than a year later, we expanded into the space next door and now offer both reformer pilates classes and boutique fitness classes like mat pilates, barre, yoga, aerial yoga, dance cardio, and more!
3. How do you keep learning?
I have an amazing mentor, Jenny Carr who owns Intermountain Pilates Training Center in Salt Lake City, UT. Not only is she brilliant, but I learn so much from her with every interaction we have. I believe that everyone with a passion for Pilates can teach us something. I love hearing what our clients want and then figuring out ways to make that possible. They want more balance challenges? Sure! I will figure out the best ones. They want deeper stretches? I’ll do some research into how to really get that release. Getting feedback from our clients really inspires me to increase my knowledge and expertise in the industry. I also love seeing everyone’s creativity through Instagram! I am often amazed by how smart and innovative people are. I love that you can find different styles and approaches, but we all ultimately want the same thing–healthy, functional movement!
4. The best advice you were ever given as a teacher…
Most people find their studio and their instructor by the energy they give off–not necessarily by how much the instructor knows. Be your authentic self and you will find your tribe!
5. Is there something you try and instil in each of your clients?
I want my clients to know that they are loved and appreciated every time they walk into our studio. Yes, we teach pilates and functional movement, but together we are so much more than that! We are a community and we WANT our clients to be here! I still get butterflies and am so thrilled every time someone joins our studio. I appreciate our clients and instructors so much and I want them to know how loved they are by me. I also am a big believer in the saying, “Always something.” This concept was introduced to me by my brother-in-law a few years ago and it is the idea that instead of “all or nothing,” we should always be striving for something. Even just a simple 10 minute walk or mat pilates session is better than nothing. As long as something is our goal–no matter how small it may seem–that will make all of the differences when trying to reach your goals.
6. The best Pilates course you ever did was…
I have an obsession with the Cadillac so my STOTT PILATES Advanced Cadillac course was my favorite! Learning inversions and getting stronger on the cadillac is such an amazing feeling. I have two daughters who love to use my cadillac as a jungle gym. Watching them hang on the frame and explore new movements encourages me to do the same! It brings out my inner child when I explore new movements on the cadillac!
7. What’s your favourite piece of equipment to use with clients in studio and why?
I don’t think the reformer can be beat when it comes to giving my clients the best session. Not only is it so versatile but anyone at any stage can use it! Being able to lie down and learn proper form in that supported position is a game changer. It is a fan favorite in our studio and our clients are obsessed with it. I have never taught the same reformer pilates class twice. There is always a new variation, a new piece of equipment, or a new exercise to add to your class! The reformer’s versatility to target the whole body is so unique.
8. How do you stay motivated?
I never want to live my life with regrets. From opening our studio, to staying motivated on a daily basis, I always try to pick the path that sits better in my heart. I picture what future-Camie looks like and I choose to make choices that create her. For example, five years ago, I wanted future-Camie to own a studio. So I knew in order to create her, I had to open a studio so she could own it! I also want her to be kind, loyal, loving and generous, so I try my best to be those things now! I also try to be intentional about slowing down and enjoying the journey. The best way I have found to do this is by practicing gratitude. When I choose to feel gratitude, I am amazed by all of the incredible things I have. As I am grateful for the things I have now, I welcome other amazing things into my life. It is a never-ending cycle and it just keeps getting better overtime!
9. What makes you laugh the most?
My husband, Judd, is not only my biggest cheerleader but is also my comedic relief and full-time entertainer. He makes me laugh like no one else. Over the last 12 years of marriage, I haven’t been able to figure out if we got married because we have the same sense of humor or if our humors have merged over the years to be the same. Either way, his jokes always put a smile on my face. It is one of the main reasons why I love him so much.
10. What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?
In the summertime, I love taking our family to the lake and to go boating. We have four children and our two oldest love knee boarding, wake surfing with me or my husband, and tubing. My husband and I also enjoy wake boarding, wake surfing and just hanging out on the lake on a hot summer day. In the wintertime, my husband and I are big snowboarders and love spending time on the mountains in the snow. I have been snowboarding since I was 10 years old and have never grown tired of it!
11. How many pairs of grip socks do you own?
I have too many grip socks to count!! One of the drawers in my dresser is dedicated to grip socks only. It is a problem, but I can’t help it! Every time we put in a wholesale order for grip socks, I always make sure to order an extra pair of each color/variety just for me! I love how versatile and helpful a stretch band is. The resistance is great for training and adding it to any exercise can give great variety to any routine!
12. Does your family ‘really know’ what’s involved in your job?
While my family has a good understanding of what I do, they were confused for a couple of years when I was carrying around all of my pilates manuals and taking them out at family parties and events to study. I don’t know if they fully comprehended how much goes into getting fully certified as a pilates instructor!
Camie owns Mountain West Pilates in Pleasant Grove, Utah, USA.