Yes, you read the headline correctly, VERY VERY MANY Pilates enthusiasts from the Cobham Pilates Studio in Surrey UK donned red noses and crowded into a large room on March 10 this year in support of Red Nose Day, the culmination of the British charity Comic Relief. Studio owner Donna Porteymour organized an attempt to break the Pilates World Record for LARGEST PILATES CLASS EVER!
Despite the huge crowd you see here, the event on Sunday fell short of breaking the world record of 862 people in one class by fewer than 50 participants. Donna said of the experience, “Of course there was a bit of disappointment that we didn’t quite get the world record, but it was tiny in comparison to just how positive and energetic the feeling in that room was. It was a coming together of so many people!” And with participants ranging from ages 6 to 79, she’s not wrong.
Donna continues, “We had a blast, and I want to extend a million thanks to EVERYONE who donated prizes, who donated cash, who participated on the day, and those who got the word out there, helping us achieve a final fundraising total of £35,563!!!”
The very, very beginning…..
Donna became hooked on Pilates after healing her injury ridden body as a result of too many extreme sports coupled with too many hours spent on airplanes. With her body in a mess, she found Pilates, and healed her body dramatically. She became passionate about Pilates and decided to train with Body Control Pilates intending to bring the method and its benefits to others. Donna has since become a supervising teacher for Body Control Pilates, assisting teachers-in-training to complete their practical work in preparation for their certification.
Back to the present, and the future
Despite coming up a bit short in their world record attempt, Donna and her colleagues have not given up yet…”On the day of the event I said we wouldn’t try again, because I was just so tired. But I’m a great believer in karma and now I think maybe we were meant to just miss out so that we would continue with creatively raising money for charity, so look out for us on Red Nose Day next year.”
Here at Pilates Intel, we will no doubt be keeping an eye out for you on Red Nose Day Donna. And thank you for the chance to write about such an extraordinary event.
If you want to learn about Donna and her studio, go here. I did, and found a thriving, enthusiastic Pilates Studio. And hey Donna, you can make sure to arrange a retreat, I’m hooked! This picture is from their upcoming Mykonos retreat scheduled for September of this year, and there are still a few spots open for the upcoming May retreat. In the mood for some renewal, relaxation and a little bit of fun? Check it out!