Page 46 - La Vita template (3)

When Tragedy Strikes, Strike Back

For many women,
going through the kind of
tragedy that Ann Marie
McNabb, owner of Pilates
Passion in Rancho Bernar-
do endured, would have
been too much to survive.
Ann Marie found a way
to go on and she owes it
primarily to two things, her
young son and her love of
Pilates.

Ann Marie moved from
Northern Ireland to
California in 1989 with her husband Brendan. She had
owned a beauty salon in Ireland and taught Aerobics part
time. After her son Caolan was born she decided to work
part time. When she turned forty she started to notice
changes in her body and overall health; some of which were
attributed to hormonal issues. She discovered Pilates and
Bio-identical hormones and finally started to feel like herself
again. Ann Marie decided to take a year- long certification
course with master teacher, Kathy Corey: She did so in
order to prepare herself to teach Pilates and open her own
studio.

She discussed it with her husband, and they both decided
that opening her own studio would be a great idea. They
set upon the job of finding the perfect location. After
46 spending countless hours they came upon a site in Rancho
Bernardo. They hired a contractor to build it out to their
specifications and were thrilled at the idea of opening their
new business together.

Before their studio was ready to open they received the sad
news that Brendan’s uncle had passed away. They were
devastated to lose a beloved family member. Ann Marie
did all she could to support her husband through this tough
time. Then the worst thing imaginable happened. Ann
Marie’s beloved husband Brendan, of thirty-one years had
a massive heart attack at his uncle’s funeral, leaving her a
widow with a young child and an unopened business.

Ann Marie’s first instinct was to pack up her things and
move back to Ireland. She adds, “The thought of opening
the studio and going on without him was overwhelming and
very fearful.” But she knew that it was what her husband
would have wanted after all their hard work. So she made
a decision to give it a shot and continued with her plan to
open Pilates Passion.

Ann Marie found that in focusing on her business and the
art of Pilates she was able to move on. “I found that the
connection to other people, helping them through their dif-
ficulties and working with their bodies, kept me so focused
and in the present moment, that it allowed time for the grief
to subside. As I focused on someone else and enjoyed
them, and the wonderful breath and energy that is Pilates, I
found that Pilates truly was a healing gift in so many ways.”

Ann Marie is truly an inspiration to other women who have
had to deal with tragedy and move on. It proves that we are
a lot stronger than we think and if we focus we can accom-
plish just about anything.
November/December 2010