Vigour Pilates, Small Business Champion of the Year 2023
We’re exciting to share that PAA registered studio Vigour Pilates in Miranda NSW have won the award for best Pilates and Yoga in the National Small Business Champion Awards – the only national recognition program for small business in Australia.
Background of the Small Business Champion awards
The Australian Small Business Champion Awards originated in 1999 as the NSW Small Business Champion of Champion Awards, which were successful in recognising the most outstanding businesses from the state of New South Wales. In 2007, the program expanded to recognise the achievements of outstanding small businesses from all states and territories across Australia, and the Australian Small Business Champions Awards program was conceived.
Bernie Milross in her own words
I have always had a passion for movement and education and began my teaching experience at the age of 15 coaching gymnastics. Post HSC I studied a Degree in Education majoring in Human Movement and spent many years teaching PDHPE in Sydney. I loved this job, however the arrival of 4 children in 6.5 years as well as a stint overseas in England and Seattle with my medical husband put my career on hold for a couple of years.
I maintained an association with the NSW Academy of Gymnastics in Miranda on my return form overseas, and it was while I was coaching that I recognised the need for intervention in the young athletes programs. The gymnasts were presenting with a high level of stress fractures whilst going through puberty and the rigors of training at a high level meant that one injury could end their hard fought for career in this sport. It was at this time that I completed a Diploma of Pilates with Polestar and started my own business “Vigour Pilates” inside the Gymnastics centre also cross training the athletes and improving performance. I was already well known in the gymnastics industry so a client base for Pilates was not hard to find.
I am a learner by nature and have always been passionate about education and movement. I kept learning and have completed the Diploma in Slings Myofascia with ‘art of motion” 2020 and the OOV course just to name two extra qualifications. I am intrigued by the myofascial puzzle of the body and subsequent body reading courses have helped me develop a very good eye for asking “the why” in clients movement issues.
I have stuck to my philosophy of education and am driven to be there for my clients in all aspects of their journey. I was fortunate enough to win the Sutherland Shire Business Awards in 2020 for “Most Outstanding Health Improvement Service”. I have also been nominated as “Business Person of the Year” numerous times. We were invited to enter the Australian Small Business Awards for 2023 and were absolutely thrilled to become the “Champion for Yoga and Pilates Services Australia”. Standing in front of over 1000 people accepting this award has been the highlight of my career and I was very happy to have Lana and Tallara by my side! We screamed with delight after accepting this and we are still smiling!
My staff are very loyal and are all Diploma Qualified. We share once a school term meetings over lunch to brain storm. We celebrate our Victories together and work on ways to improve and move forward. My staff work out their own hours to suit their changing lives. We back each other up with cover and make sure that we are not all holidaying at the same time. They are great teachers who share my passion and are fabulous to have by my side.
Education, Passion, Dedication, Perseverance, Time, Love, Energy, Belief and a drive to be a great Movement Educator helped me over the line personally and pushes me every day to be the best that I can be!
Stick to your dreams for others and the work is not work! It is flow, life giving and changing “one at a time”.
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