It was September 2010, just a few months after my husband Steve and I tied the knot and we were looking to buy a home. We chose to work with Diane Patterson, a local REALTOR, and also the mother of my Pilates Master Trainer, Marissa Lins. She showed us a house that was not on our radar, but after taking two steps inside, I told Steve, “If you buy me this house, we can move back to Sauk Prairie.”
Truth be told, I was not crazy about moving back to the town I grew up in. My older sister had moved away and I saw myself doing the same thing. Fast forward to December 2010: We closed on our new house and moved in! I LOVE it!!
I love the familiarity of Sauk Prairie. It feels like home, which I had not anticipated. In the early months of living in Sauk Prairie I continued to commute and teach at all my usual spots in Madison, Madison Pilates and Harbor Athletic Club. (Fun Fact: I received my first ever speeding ticket commuting to teach Pilates in Madison all because I wanted to grab breakfast before teaching).
A few months passed. One day in February 2011, my phone rang. On the other end of the line was Michelle Niesen, a former client, who is the daughter of Diane and sister of Marissa. “Emily, we have given you enough time to settle in,” she said. “It is time to start teaching Pilates in Sauk Prairie.”
So I did! Michelle put together a small group of people and Maribeth was part of that group. Through the years, people came and went but two constants remained. Michelle and Maribeth Baker are THE Sauk Prairie OGs! (AKA the original two Sauk Prairie Pilates clients). We started meeting for weekly Pilates in one or the other’s basement and 12 years later, we are still going strong. The only thing that has changed from those early days is the location. We created a habit and turned into a family, my Pilates family!
