Our Team

Our Certified Victoria Pilates Instructors, Practicing Kinesiologists and Rehabilitation Coordinators

Thea Beatson

STOTT Trained Reformer Pilates Instructor

Thea moved to the island in 2019 to pursue her yoga teacher training in Tofino. Falling in love with the island lifestyle, she holds a diploma in nutrition and is currently a third year business student in Victoria. She has an active background, growing up she figure skated competitively in Southern Alberta. She is recently STOTT trained in Mat and Reformer and is currently working towards her certifications. She is very grateful to have discovered Pilates and the amazing benefits that the intentional movements and breathing provide. She is very excited to begin her teaching career with such a welcoming, family-oriented clinic with extremely knowledgeable and caring mentors!

Mat Pilates

Maggie Hofman

Reformer Pilates Instructor
Balanced Body Certified Pilates Instructor

Maggie’s exploration into Pilates began in 2004 when she signed up for her first Pilates Mat class. She expanded her personal Pilates practice by taking Pilates Equipment classes and saw how the benefits of specialized Pilates equipment could help her achieve her fitness goals in ways that other movement modalities had not been able to do. The next step in her Pilates journey was clear; she trained in Victoria and became a Certified Pilates Instructor in 2005. Maggie is passionate about helping people reduce pain in their bodies and move with confidence in their daily activities. Pilates can play a fundamental role in retraining the body’s movement patterns and allows for a more mindful connection when it comes to any physical activity.

Maggie’s thoughtful and compassionate approach to teaching Pilates has allowed her clients to not only regain control of their bodies but she has seen first-hand how clients feel invigorated and empowered when they are given the right tools to reclaim agency in their own lives. Maggie has continued her formal training with Balanced Body, a globally accredited Pilates education program. She recently completed her MELT Method Hand and Foot Certification. She has pursued her interests in movement and physiology through a variety of certifications offered through the Fascia Hub and Anatomy Trains which offers professional development courses for manual therapists and movement practitioners.

Jen Rausch

Certified Mat and Reformer Pilates Instructor
Certified Physiotherapist Assistant
Clinical Pilates Instructor

Jen was born and raised on the island and has always enjoyed an active lifestyle. She found that practising Pilates made one of the biggest differences in her body. Because of Jen’s love for Pilates she went on to get certified as a mat Pilates instructor to deepen her knowledge of this movement. Since then, she continued her studies and became certified as a Yoga instructor, Barre instructor, Pilates Reformer Instructor and is working towards her Clinical Pilates approval. Jen feels strongly that the key to a healthy lifestyle is to stay active and keep moving.

Chantelle Shah-Poulin

Certified Mat and Reformer Pilates Instructor
Certified Physiotherapist Assistant
Yoga Instructor

Chantelle Shah-Poulin is a woman of Vancouver Island, born and raised, spending the majority of her years here in Victoria since 1990. In 2005 she sustained injuries from two car accidents both within close proximity to one another and these were the incidents that led her to discover Pilates. She started her road to recovery at Shelbourne Physio and began rehabilitation treatment along with Reformer Pilates classes. She soon realised the true benefits of the Pilates exercises and the breathing techniques and how they improved her overall quality of life by aiding in the healing of her body, building strength and speeding up recovery. This experience was the foundation of her teaching career as her interest and passion for movement had only just blossomed. Curious to try other movement practices she added a Yoga practice to her Pilates routine. In 2010 she became a Yoga instructor and continued advanced studies in Costa Rica acquiring RYT-500 accreditation. Chantelle has come full circle in her teaching career with becoming a Barre instructor, Health and Fitness coach and certified Pilates Mat and Reformer instructor. Chantelle is a professional multidisciplinary movement teacher. For over a decade now she has been immersed in trainings and has over 3000hrs teaching experience. Her love for the practice of Pilates shines through in her teachings as her classes are fun, creatively sequenced and balanced. In a class with Chantelle you can expect clear coaching with a focus on safety and functional movement. Chantelle really provides the care and attention that you want in an instructor.

Chris Csak

Full STOTT Certified Pilates Instructor
Certified Physiotherapist Assistant
Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Instructor
Certified Fitness & Health Promotion Diploma
Certified Fitness Consultant (CSEP) & Personal Trainer
Independent Contractor

Chris started in the fitness industry in 1998 , working in a community centre helping kids get into shape. It was here that he decided that this was the profession for him. After completing a diploma in Fitness and Health Promotion, he started work as a personal trainer in Toronto, Canada. For close to 10 years he helped people achieve their goals while constantly improving his own knowledge base through countless workshops and seminars. In 2002 he began expanding his repertoire by teaching group exercise classes. He started accumulating certifications and began teaching everything from indoor cycling to Pilates. He also spent his free time volunteering as a hockey coach and training with the Canadian Armed Forces. In 2007 he decided to change his scenery, and accepted a job offer working aboard The World as The Senior Fitness Instructor. In March of 2011 he resigned from the World after four fantastic years and returned to Toronto to continue in the Industry that he loves, personal training and leading group exercise classes. In December of 2016, he moved to Victoria where he lives and works presently. Continuing in wellness, more recently his focus is directed at Yoga, Pilates and smart sustainable exercise.

Lori Baker

Certified Pilates Instructor
Certified Reformer Pilates Teacher
Certified Physiotherapist Assistant
Group Exercise Certification(AFLCA)
Certified Personal Trainer (Can-Fit-Pro)

Lori grew up in Calgary and has recently relocated to the island . She has spent many summers here and the west coast is now her home. Lori has over 15 years experience in Health and Wellness. With certifications including Mat/Reformer Pilates, Cycle,Triathlon Coaching and Yoga. Lori has worked with a variety of clients that consist of older adults, youth and athletes. Lori’s love of fitness overlaps into her everyday life and she is an avid hiker, runner and cyclist. She believes it is important to keep moving and encourages people to find what motivates them to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Kelsey Kowalchuk

Clinical Pilates Instructor
Practicing Kinesiologist
Certified Physiotherapy Assistant

Kelsey graduated from the University of Victoria in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. In 2019, she worked as a Kinesiologist at a neurological physiotherapy clinic, which gave her valuable insight into the intricacies of the nervous system and how to adapt exercises to facilitate proper movement. Kelsey believes that movement is a key component to living a healthy lifestyle and anybody can incorporate exercise into their life with the right guidance.

Penny Salmas

Clinic Owner
Registered Physical Therapist
Manual and Manipulative Physiotherapist (FCAMPT)
Certified Gunn IMS Practitioner
Special Interest in Physiotherapy for Dancers
Special Interest in Pilates for Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation
Schroth 3D Scoliosis Physiotherapy Certified
Shockwave Therapy Certification(ISMST)
Real Time Ultrasound
Pilates Studio Owner/Instructor

Penny has incorporated all the services and disciplines she feels are most beneficial to the full recovery of most patients under one roof.

She has over 29 years of physiotherapy experience, all of which have been in private practice. Penny has obtained her Diploma of Advanced Orthopedic Manual and Manipulative Physiotherapy (FCAMPT) making her a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Therapists. Penny has a Physical Therapy degree from the University of Calgary and a Physiotherapy degree from the University of Alberta. Penny is an active member of the Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia(PABC) and the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA). FCAMPT Physiotherapists’ knowledge and skills enable them to treat complex pathology and movement disorders of both the spine and extremities, which can cause both acute and chronic pain and disability.

Penny incorporates the use of Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) into her treatment of many different types of injuries. She is the first physiotherapist to practice IMS in Victoria and has been thrilled with the results. Penny has a keen interest in treating foot and ankle problems, dance, golf, gymnastics, skating, and soccer injuries. Penny has a special interst in treating Victoria adolescents and adults with scoloiosis using evidence based Schroth exercise guidelines.

She is always up for a challenge!

Sam Konyu

Practising Kinesiologist
ICBC Approved Kinesiology Provider

Sam has been a Victoria resident since 2014 and is drawn to the island lifestyle of all the nature that is offered here. Sam graduated in May 2024 from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor in Kinesiology. Since that time, Sam has been busy shadowing and volunteering in many clinics in Victoria and Vancouver and was happy to land at Shelbourne Physio. She is looking forward to getting to know her clients and helping them with their fitness and rehab journey. She is very active in her own health journey with soccer, running, hikes, and walking her playful Golden Retriever puppy named Bella.

Shiva Shade Charleson

Pilates & Rehabilitation Coordinator
Diploma In Arts & Sciences

Shiva was born and raised on Vancouver Island and grew up in the popular town of Ucluelet B.C. Growing up on the island has given her a love for hiking and camping during all seasons of the year. Taking her passions to the next level she travelled to Iceland to explore the intense climate and compare the unpredictable weather systems to that of our own. As her interests lie in the realm of physical activity she has taken a keen interest in pilates to prepare and push the limits on her next adventure.

Freesia Dorval

Pilates & Rehabilitation Coordinator

After moving from the Okanagan to Victoria in 2009 Freesia quickly fell in love with the island and all the outdoor activities it offers like hiking and camping. In 2011 she was in 2 car accidents several months apart and she wasn’t sure she could be as active as she once was. After dealing with chronic pain for years after, Freesia finally found physiotherapy helped her recover and got a job working in administration in the industry. She loves being surrounded by people who value taking care of their health and wellness and is excited for this new chapter.

Chloe Fitzgibbon

BSc. Kin
Billing & Collections Manager
Pilates & Rehabilitation Coordinator

Chloe has been working at the clinic on-and-off since 2016, and has joined us again after graduating from the Kinesiology program at the University of Calgary. She has always had a passion for helping others, specifically in moving their body and creating healthy lifestyles. In the past, Chloe worked as a Hydrotherapy assistant at the Gordon Head location, admin at the Cook Street location, and at the Physio and Pilates desks at the Shelbourne location as well as in the Billing office. She is working towards getting her MSc PT.