Euro Pilates Has The Experience You Need To Get Stronger & Feel Better Safely

Maria Ivanova and her daughter Ania are two of the certified Pilates trainers you’ll find at Euro Pilates, located just south of County Line Rd. in New Tampa.

As a child growing up in Russia, Maria Ivanova was diagnosed with severe scoliosis (curvature of the spine). She persisted as a professional rhythmic gymnast anyway, but when she retired, she says she was in a lot of pain.

“I was looking for medications or anything to help me feel better,” Maria says. Instead of finding a pill to cure her pain, she discovered Pilates, a form of exercise designed to improve physical strength and flexibility.

“Pilates made me feel so good,” she says. “And, when you’re in pain, you just want to feel better.”

That was the beginning of a journey that led her to become a master trainer, certified in all levels of Stott Pilates — known as a contemporary approach to original Pilates with a rigorous and thorough education method — and to spend the rest of her life teaching and training others using Pilates. She has been a certified instructor for about 12 years now.

Maria is the owner of Euro Pilates, located in the Countyline Professional Center, just south and east of the corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and County Line Rd. (behind Walgreens). Maria moved to her current location in 2015, after being upstairs in the MidFlorida Credit Union building, also on BBD, since opening about 10 years ago.

New clients to Euro Pilates start with at least three one-on-one personal training sessions to become familiar with this unique system of exercise. Then, they can then choose to continue personal training, or try out the many classes offered. Many clients do a combination of both classes and individual training.

“I’m here every day,” says Nicole Regush of Wesley Chapel. “Seven years ago, I had just had a baby and wanted to strengthen my muscles. I started doing private sessions three times a week and I just got addicted because I felt so good.”

Nicole adds, “It’s nice to have a combination of both independent and group training. In a private session, you focus on your needs more, like if your hips are tight or your back is bothering you that day. In groups, it keeps me motivated because I see others who are stronger than me, and we get to try so many different equipment options.”

  • That includes Pilates equipment called a Cadillac machine, reformer, chair, barrel, and more, all designed to help people strengthen and elongate muscles throughout their bodies.

Maria says Pilates lengthens the muscles so they look lean and strong. She says once clients start, they often stay for years. “Some clients become very dear friends.”

In fact, Maria says, a group of clients recently attended Maria’s daughter Ania’s graduation from USF together. Ania also is a trainer in the studio, who now holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Sports Science and works at Euro Pilates full time. “I have successfully cloned myself,” Maria laughs, saying that Ania’s training style is so much like hers that Euro Pilates clients can easily train with either one of them and not skip a beat.

Ania has worked at Euro Pilates for three years now. “I really enjoy it,” she says. “The people who come here are awesome. Plus, I like to travel and this job gives me a lot of freedom to do that. For example, I’m getting ready to get a yoga certification in India.”

Why Pilates?

Maria explains that, as she did, some people first turn to Pilates because they are in pain. “If someone has scoliosis or rotated hips, or has little pains here or there, or if they’ve had major surgery such as a hip replacement or back surgery, we are trained to help.”

She says she is not a physical therapist, but has similar knowledge, thanks to her Stott Pilates training. “Everything we do is good for you,” she says. “We explain why we do certain things, like to make certain muscles tighter, to align the body and provide muscle balance.”

Others find Pilates for general strength training and physical fitness. Maria says Pilates doesn’t just work the major, global muscles, but also local muscles. So, for example, in the leg, the quad muscle does all the work and your gluteus maximus (butt muscle) does none. Pilates “wakes up” that glute muscle and strengthens it. Maria says, “We pay attention to the smallest details of movement.”

Many women discover Pilates when they are pregnant and don’t want to lose muscle tone. Maria says she and the other instructors at Euro Pilates are trained to help clients who are pre- and post-partum. Sometimes people come to Maria when other gym routines don’t seem sustainable.

“Ladies — especially those over 40 —often find us because they don’t want to be flipping tires in a parking lot or they realize running may not be good for them, so they want smart strength training. It’s not always working harder that gets results. Sometimes, it’s about working smarter.”

Maria says that’s what her extensive training in Pilates allows her to teach. For example, she says, there’s no need to push through pain in your lower back to make your back stronger. “The stronger your abs are, the more you can elongate your back, so you really want to work on ab strength. People just don’t know that.”

Connie Bainbridge, a New Tampa resident, found Euro Pilates nine years ago when she and her husband and were looking to get into better physical shape. “We both had previously had cancer and heard that Pilates was good for rehabilitation and strengthening,” she says. “We came in and tried it and it was the perfect exercise for both of us. It was strengthening, but it wasn’t as intense as a boot camp.”

Connie, who is now 60, reports she is in much better shape now physically than she was when she started. “The classes are small and you get personal attention,” she says. “It’s very motivating. The instructors know exactly what you can do, so they train you at your level to get you to a higher level.”

She says she’s been going to Euro Pilates three times a week for nine years, doing both personal training and group classes, and says, unlike other people she knows who train at other gyms, she’s never had an injury from working out at Euro Pilates.

“It’s a fun exercise,” says Connie. “In the past when I’ve quit going to gyms it’s been because I’ve been bored, but I’ve never been bored here. Plus, I have no aches and pains, no medications, and I feel I’m in better physical shape than many people my age.”

Professional Athletes, Too

Even professional athletes come to Euro Pilates to strengthen their core. Chad Reed is an international motocross and supercross champion, originally from Australia, who now lives outside of Wesley Chapel.

“Doing what I do on a motorcycle,” Chad says, “you need to be fit and strong, and also need to be flexible. Working with Maria gives me that combination of strength and flexibility. With her past experience as an athlete, she understands the recovery days and the hard days.”

He says he first discovered Euro Pilates in 2010, when he and his wife were living in New Tampa. “I really didn’t know or understand what Pilates was,” Chad says. “I had a vision of yoga, but it’s different and really challenging.”

He recently started working out with Maria again after a hiatus. “My wife and I have had three children in six years, so it’s been a whirlwind in our personal lives,” he says. Now that he’s back doing Pilates again, along with bicycling, running and spending time on a motorcycle, he says, “Pilates ties my fitness program together. To be honest, I felt like it was a missing link I had.”

Chad says the workouts are a good fit for him. “I have three kids and a wife and a professional career, and — like most people —my time is precious,” he says. “I can get in and get out and have someone looking out for me making sure I’m doing everything correctly, so I’m not going to put myself in a position where I’m going to get an injury.”

Give It A Try…

There’s no membership fee at Euro Pilates. Clients pay per class or purchase a package of classes. Classes are small, with a maximum of five students in classes with equipment and a maximum of eight with no equipment.

“Because we know everyone and how they are feeling,” says Maria, “we are attentive to their needs in a way that’s not possible in a larger group.”

Beyond Pilates, there are other classes that use Pilates techniques for a different type of workout, such as Barre or Yoga-Lates, a relaxing combination of yoga and Pilates, set to soothing music, that is offered on Sunday mornings.

Maria also teaches Kizomba classes, a smooth, sensual dance that originated in Angola. Maria was the first Kizomba teacher in Florida, and is known as “Kizomba Chick,” traveling the country teaching and organizing Kizomba festivals.

For more info, visit the studio at 20743 Center Oak Dr. in Tampa or at www.Euro-Pilates.com, or call (813) 756-4000.

WRH Co-Valedictorian Rachel Sawah Heads To USF’s Med Program With Her A.A.

Rachel Sawah is not only the co-valedictorian at WRH, she also has earned her A.A. degree from Pasco Hernando State College by taking dual enrollment classes.

While many high school seniors struggle to figure out what they want to do next, Rachel Sawah says she knows exactly where she’s headed. She says the journey that’s gotten her to this point in life has helped her to determine her plans for the future.

She just graduated from Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) as the class of 2017’s co-valedictorian, with a weighted GPA of 4.79. While a student there, she also took many dual enrollment classes at Pasco Hernando State College, which allowed her to also graduate with her Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree this spring.

“Dual enrollment was a rewarding experience because I was able to take college classes in a college setting,” she says, “so I believe I am now better prepared for a university setting. Plus, there’s a greater variety of courses available in dual enrollment, such as microbiology, that I didn’t have in high school.”

Courses like microbiology have helped Rachel determine that she will study neurology and hopefully become a neurologist or neurosurgeon someday. “I thought I wanted to be a doctor, just a family practitioner,” she says, “but I didn’t have any specialization in mind. I feel that taking those extra upper level courses enabled me to find my certain path.”

And, she admits, those upper level courses also helped her GPA, which helped secure her spot as co-valedictorian.

In the fall, she’ll attend the University of South Florida, where she’ll enter the school’s honors B.S.M.D. (Bachelor of Science/Medical Doctor) program, a combined, accelerated program that allows students to graduate with both degrees in just seven years. For Rachel, having already earned her A.A. degree, it could take even less time than that.

“For now, I anticipate finishing my Bachelor’s degree in one or two years,” she says. “Then I might even apply to some upper level medical schools.”

Whether she transfers out of the University of South Florida or not, she’s happy to be getting her start there. She was accepted to and offered scholarships at several other Florida schools, but staying close to home was the most attractive to her.

“Financially speaking, USF was the best offer,” Rachel says. “They have a great pre-med program and I have basically a full ride, covering books and everything.”

She’ll live at home and commute to the school. “It’s really nice to stay at home with my family,” she says, which includes her mom and dad, two sisters, and a new baby brother.

While she feels she’s well prepared for college and is looking forward to it, she says her experience of being off campus for the last year of her high school experience has not been a detriment.

“I was still involved in a lot of activities (at WRH),” she says, “I was on the varsity tennis team and in Key Club, Mu Alpha Theta math honor society, National Honor Society, and HOSA.” She explains HOSA is the Health Occupation Students of America, a student-led health organization for people interested in the medical field, with international competitions, in which she placed first in the state in a speech competition, both her junior and senior year.

In addition, Rachel says she completed more than 400 volunteer hours during high school, with more than 200 of those at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, plus other organizations and activities like the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.

Those service hours at the hospital also have helped her find her path toward a career in the medical field. “It’s helped to guide me because you see the doctors and you can help them and ask questions,” she says. “Having these in-person experiences, and taking many college courses, all of this is learning for the real world. I’m excited to start the next chapter.”

Wiregrass Ranch High Co-Valedictorian Lauren Payne Follows Her Sister To UF

Wiregrass Ranch High co-valedictorian Lauren Payne will follow her sister Emily to the University of Florida.

Lauren Payne says she wasn’t necessarily trying to earn the title of valedictorian of the 2017 class at Wiregrass Ranch High, but that’s where her hard work and smart choices landed her.

She recently graduated as co-valedictorian, with a weighted GPA of 4.79.

“I chose my classes based on what I thought was going to be interesting,” Lauren says, not with having the toughest schedule in mind. “I took a mix of AP (Advanced Placement) classes and dual enrollment, and they were all good.” She says her favorites — among courses such as AP calculus B/C, government and statistics — were her dual enrollment world literature and AP biology classes. What did she take for fun? “Oceanography and anthropology were like electives,” she says.

“Lauren has a really strong work ethic,” says her mom, Janet. “It is really important for her to try her best and challenge herself.”

Lauren’s natural drive to try her hardest has earned her some pretty impressive credentials. For example, she’s a National Merit Scholarship winner. This makes her eligible for a program called the Benacquisto scholarship, where the State of Florida provides a financial award equal to the cost of attendance at a Florida school, including tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, books, supplies, travel and miscellaneous expenses remaining after using  award given by the National Merit Scholar program and the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship program.

Lauren is taking her Benacquisto scholarship to the University of Florida in Gainesville, the school from which her older sister Emily just graduated. Emily was WRH’s salutatorian in 2013.

“I chose UF because I’ve been visiting my older sister there since middle school,” she says, “and I always felt like I belonged.” UF also offered her its Presidential Scholarship, which offers $5,000, $8,000 (gold) and $10,000 (platinum) per year to in-state, high-achieving students.

Her plan is to major in microbiology and cell science and eventually work in the medical field. “It’s exciting to be on my own for the first time,” says Lauren, who has lived in the same house in Meadow Pointe her entire life, attending Sand Pine Elementary and John Long Middle School before WRH.

While she’s following her older sister’s footsteps into college, she also followed her athletically. Lauren watched Emily run cross country in high school, so she started running in middle school. Lauren became part of a team at WRH that won the Sunshine Athletic Conference Eastern Division championship this year.

“I looked up to my sister, so I thought running cross country looked like so much fun,” Lauren says. “Once I started, I really liked the coach and all the girls on the team, so I stuck with it, even though it was a lot harder than I thought it would be.”

She adds, “There are some days for everyone where it’s just a really rough run and it doesn’t feel fun or easy. There’s a point where you have to decide whether I’m going to stick through this. The experience with all the other girls on the team made the hard days worth it.”

In addition to being a scholar and an athlete, Lauren also was active on campus at WRH, as a class Senator all four years, president of Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society), a Ranch ambassador (representing the school at different events such as orientation and open house) and a member of both the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society.

“She grew up liking to try a lot of different things, such as dance, swimming, and playing a couple of different instruments,’’ said her mother Janet. In fact, Janet says Lauren still plays violin but had to stop playing in the school’s orchestra.

“Orchestra is a big-time commitment,” Janet said, “Lauren had to make choices. She even did cheerleading for her first two years, but couldn’t keep doing all of those activities, so she had to make decisions about how to best spend her time.”

While Janet is proud of Lauren, she doesn’t seem at all surprised at her success. “Since Lauren was pretty young, she’s always had a curiosity about how things work and has been enthusiastic about school,’’ Janet said. “We’ve had great public schools and great teachers who have nurtured her along the way. Those things came together: good schools, good teachers, she gets a lot of support and she tries hard.”

Boy Scout STEM Fair Held At Florida Hospital Center Ice

Have you ever seen hundreds of Scouts on ice skates? On May 6, about 350 Boy Scout and Cub Scout families from the Tampa Bay area and beyond gathered at Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel for the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council’s inaugural Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Fair.

Boys of all ages, along with their families, tried out ice skating on one of the new skating center’s four full-size rinks, while more than a dozen vendors showed off robots and gadgets on the adjacent rink.

“We’re going to do this again,” says Jeff Smith, a Boy Scout volunteer who was one of the event’s organizers. “We had about 100 people more than we were hoping for. It was a great turnout.”

He adds, “The facility was stellar. The majority of the people who came for the STEM Fair had never been there before. The parking was great and the staff offered tours of Florida Hospital Center Ice.”

When they weren’t skating, the kids got to watch drone demonstrations and a couple of different 3D printing demonstrations. They were able to interact with robots built by high school robotics clubs, such as Tampa’s Middleton High, and check out summer camps from Busch Gardens and MOSI. Firehouse Subs provided meals for purchase. A couple of colleges also were represented, where parents and older kids could ask questions about technology and medical fields.

New Tampa Scout Kenny Lewis (center) receives his Supernova award during the recent Boy Scout Stem Fair at Florida Hospital Center Ice.

“This is a way to embrace new technologies and get kids excited,” Smith says. “If all we teach boys is how to tie knots and make a fire with two sticks, Boy Scouts will become obsolete. So, Boy Scouts is embracing STEM as a way to stay relevant.”

To acknowledge the Boy Scouts’ new emphasis on STEM, a few attendees were presented with the Council’s first “Supernova” awards. The Supernova awards are part of an awards program that are, “designed to motivate youth and recognize
advanced achievement in STEM-related activities.”

Because the program is so new, only one Scout in the New Tampa area has earned it. Kenny Lewis, who is now a member of Boy Scout Troop 180, actually earned his Supernova award as a Cub Scout in Pack 801, which is based out of Hunter’s Green Elementary and where his father, Ken Lewis, is the Cubmaster.

Two other Scouts, one from Land O’Lakes and one from Bushnell, also were presented with Supernova awards.

Smith says he is now working with Florida Hospital Center Ice to make next year’s Boy Scout STEM Fair even bigger and better.

For more information about Boy Scouts and the STEM connection, visit TampaBayScouting.org.

Infinite Edge Learning Center can boost your test scores

Korosh (left) and Ozra Jabbari invite your children to join the ever-growing roster of students they help do their best in school at the Infinite Edge Learning Center in Tampa Palms.

For college-bound high school students, SAT and ACT scores may mean the difference between attending the college of their dreams and bitter disappointment. At Infinite Edge Learning Center, located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center (off Commerce Park Blvd.), owner Ozra Jabbari and her staff of educators work with New Tampa students to be sure they’re poised to do their best on these important tests.

But, preparing for college entrance exams isn’t the only studying and tutoring happening at Infinite Edge.

“We help students in every class and every subject,” says Ozra. From elementary school to challenging college-level classes, tutors who are professional teachers and even college professors are matched to students who need help catching up or want to push ahead in any and all subjects. “If a student tells me they need help in a subject, I find a qualified teacher to help them.”

Just some of the courses they have helped students with include all levels of mathematics, language development and enrichment, general science, chemistry, reading, foreign languages, and all Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.

The center also accommodates many different student needs. For example, a summer enrichment program helps students who don’t have time for tutoring during the school year to get ahead for the following school year. Those whose first language is something other than English also can get help with language improvement. Infinite Edge tutors also help students who are serious athletes or musicians who can’t be in school full time. After-school care is even available to some students from Chiles and Tampa Palms elementaries. “When their parents get off work, they’ve had their snack and their homework is done,” Ozra says.

No matter why a student comes to Infinite Edge, Ozra promises that, “Our curriculum is individualized. We don’t have one curriculum for every student or every subject. For each student who comes to us, we design a program for their specific needs. We continually assess each child and help them improve to reach a higher level.”

Ozra and her late husband Sobi opened Infinite Edge Learning Center in 2007. Sobi passed away last fall after a battle with throat cancer, and Ozra is keeping his legacy alive by continuing to provide the superior services that have always been offered at Infinite Edge to the students Sobi cared so much about.

“Sobi touched so many lives,” Ozra says. “His funeral was held on a rainy day last August and there were at least 45 students who attended, from Freedom and King high schools, and former Infinite Edge students from USF, UF, and UCF.”

The family has lived in Tampa Palms for more than 20 years. Their daughter, Farush, is a sophomore at nearby Freedom High. Their son, Korosh, is currently in the USF Honors College combined B.S./M.D. program, where he will earn both a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine degree in no more than seven years. He also is a full-time tutor at Infinite Edge.

Home Of The Perfect Score!

“Every time we have students take the SAT and ACT, we have at least one perfect score,” says Ozra. “We give students the materials to prepare, and they work hard.”

She says this spring, about 15 Infinite Edge students took the college entrance exams, and “everyone did well.” She says one student had a perfect score on the ACT and several students had SAT scores above 1500.

Beginning last March, the SAT now has a new format. While the old SAT offered a total of 2,400 points (800 each in math, reading and writing), the new SAT is only 1,600 points, still with 800 points available in the math portion but only 800 points available for reading and writing combined.

“The new test is more difficult,” says Korosh. “It relies less on test-taking strategies, such as elimination. Students need to deeply understand concepts from classrooms and how they apply these concepts to real- life situations.”

Students who attend Infinite Edge continue to be well prepared. Ozra says that the biggest problem she sees is that many parents wait too long to think about the SAT or ACT. She says that if students haven’t begun preparing for these tests before their junior year — which is when they need to take the test in order to apply for college — they simply run out of time.

She says a full program with Infinite Edge often takes eight months to a year, and cramming doesn’t get the same results as taking your time and going through the entire program. “We recommend one-on-one, customized test preparation,” says Ozra, “but we also offer group preparation courses.” Group courses have no more than six students (usually fewer) and are a more affordable way to prepare for the tests.

And, not only does Infinite Edge help students get into college with SAT and ACT test prep, they also help students with tests they need to get into post-graduate schools and programs, such as the GRE (Graduate Record Examination)/GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test).

No Contracts/Great Results

One thing that sets Infinite Edge Learning Center apart from its competition is that there are no contracts. “You come as long as you need us,” explains Ozra, “and you always get personal attention.”

Ozra says that her prices are lower than other tutoring centers in the area. “In fact, we haven’t raised our prices at all in more than seven years,” she says.

Tampa Palms resident Viola Wang says she recommends Infinite Edge. “My daughter started going several months ago, and she really enjoys learning there,” Viola says. Her daughter, Megan Zheng, is a junior at King High. “They really accommodate whatever she needs.”

Viola says Megan had taken the PSAT, then started test prep with Infinite Edge to get ready for the SAT this spring. Megan just received her results and, while she doesn’t want to share her score, Viola says Megan was, “happy and surprised she got such a great score.”

Viola says Infinite Edge also helped Megan when she needed some support in math. “She did a little bit of math (tutoring) and was able to stop when she felt like she could handle it herself,” says Viola. “Ozra is so flexible and accommodating. High school juniors have such a tough schedule and Ozra is great about adjusting to her needs.”

The success of youngsters like Megan is always great news to Ozra.

“I’m very proud of my students,” Ozra says. “When it comes to the end of the year and they’re getting good grades and high test scores, it brings me happiness.”

Infinite Edge Learning Center (17419 Bridge Hill Ct.) is open Mon.-Fri., 2 p.m.–8 p.m., and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sat. Weekday morning hours are available by appointment only for students who homeschool or do online courses. For more info, visit InfiniteEdgeLearningCenter.com or call (813) 971-6500.