"Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people." ~Unknown

Mara Pacyga MS, PT, Polestar Certified Pilates Practitioner

Founder, Physical Therapist, and Movement Teacher

Dedicated. Nature-inspired. Soulful.
​Mara has brought her dream to reality with the creation of Elevate Pilates and Physical Therapy in 2012. Her education foundation came from graduating with Honors from Indiana University in 1996, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in both Psychology and Biology, and a minor in Spanish. She converged her academic strengths in neuroscience and psychology with her passion for fitness and dance, completing a Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado in 2001. After discovering the holistic benefits to both wellness and rehabilitation, Mara furthered her education with a Comprehensive Rehabilitation Certification in Pilates from Polestar Pilates in 2007.
Mara has worked in a variety of settings as a Physical Therapist , including inpatient acute and transitional care, inpatient rehabilitation, and in both outpatient hospital-based and private practice clinics. The diversity of her clinical experiences provides her with a unique ability to care for patients of all ages with a full spectrum of needs. She can tailor therapies for athletic, neurological, medical and orthopedic injuries, or help you achieve your personal wellness and athletic goals to maximize your quality of life.

​She takes pride in building community, creating connection, and inspiring wellness of mind and body through the elevate family.

Dawn Kervin PT, DPT

Physical Therapist

Compassionate. Caring. Open-hearted adventurer.
Dawn is a highly-skilled and empathetic Physical Therapist, who recently returned home to Grand County after living in the Front Range working in outpatient, home health, and hospice settings. Her education includes a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California Santa Barbara, and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Regis University in Denver in 2007. She comes to Elevate with a background in competitive gymnastics, a diverse career teaching group fitness classes, personal training, and community wellness education. Dawn looks forward to extending her knowledge and share in connection with our community with continued education in Pilates.
Dawn’s well-rounded mastery in all levels of rehabilitation and wellness with diverse populations lends her the expertise to care for our patients from acute injury through return to sport and life. She believes in giving individualized care and treating each person based on specific patient goals. Dawn places emphasis on manual therapy techniques coupled with exercise programs and patient education to ensure their long-term success as well as prevention for her patients. 

Jill Swent

Instructor

Lighthearted. Composed. Genuine.
Jill comes to us from the world of construction management, as an integral part of the team at Steffen Builders. Originally from eastern Washington, she came to Winter Park in 1995 with a BS in Exercise Science from Washington State University. She began teaching Pilates in 2016 after obtaining her Reformer 1 certification with our friends at Balanced Body.

A friend told her to try Pilates. She was intrigued, and the more classes she did the more she wanted to learn! Pilates was allowing her to evolve both her mind and body. She wanted to share this magic with her community, with the goal of teaching the techniques and concepts to others, helping clients challenge themselves and progress their strength and flexibility, while making her class laugh and smile!

Heather Phifer

Instructor

Creative. Dog-lover. Enthusiast of lazy days.
Heather, originally from Georgia, came into the Pilates world in 2008 as a shift in career, with a lifestyle change of moving to Colorado. Her previous corporate career in software development came after a degree in Information Systems from the University of Georgia. In 2009, Heather received her certification from East West Pilates under the supervision of Donna McClean, while continuing her education with second-generation Pilates master Cara Reeser.

​Heather’s masterful style of teaching focuses on proper form, strength, flexibility, and a mental connection to movement. When you join Heather in the studio, you will notice her creativity and good energy keep your time on the equipment unique, and highly enjoyable. She will provide emphasis on how to relate the skills attained in Pilates to your everyday movement outside of the studio.

Paige Walker

Instructor

Resilient. Committed. Lover of the outdoors.
Paige has been teaching Pilates at Elevate since its creation. She landed in our community 35 years ago, coming from Montana State University with her degree in Exercise Physiology and Physical Education. She also has been trained through Balanced Body in Mat and Reformer work. Paige is a proficient ski instructor with a Level 3 PSIA Certification and has experience teaching a variety of fitness and movement classes for decades.

​Paige came to Pilates because she believes it is the perfect support system we all need as fitness participants, athletes, and outdoor enthusiasts. From injury prevention and rehabilitation, core strengthening, and flexibility, to joint stability, Pilates promotes our minds and bodies to develop healthy stabilization and movement to enhance our lifelong activities.