Meet the Big Toe Studio Staff
Don Spence
Pilates Teacher and Studio Program Director
Don has been involved in athletic development since the age of 14. He began by using exercise to lose weight, which sparked his career in athletic performance and competition. A personal quest developed into a lifelong passion of athletic and fitness excellence. This life experience allowed a passion to turn into teaching and assisting others in their quest to be leaner and healthier while providing a better understanding of lifestyle choices that affect overall health and personal fitness. This knowledge of how personal body image and the positive effects from athletic performance has allowed Don to follow through on his own personal quest of helping others to achieve their individual high level of knowledge regarding sensible fitness exercise decisions. This led to the creation of Body Quest Advantage and Big Toe Studio in 2004.
Don successfully completed the Polestar Education training to be a Practitioner of Pilates for Rehabilitation and Pilates Mat work in 2001 and is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher. He is the founder and Director of the Pilates Career Institute Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training School, which is a Colorado Private Occupational Teaching School under the Department of Education. He is also a Personal Trainer, and an American Massage Therapy Association Certified Massage Therapist. He has spent more than three decades bringing people back from injuries to their fully functioning….and often better selves. Don appreciates the effect that Pilates has had in his life, and attributes his continued competitive performance and athleticism to his regular practice of Pilates.
After completing a successful career as a Professional Bicycle Racer, he started a new career in rehabilitation as a Neuromuscular Therapist with Orthopedic Center of the Rockies in Fort Collins, Colorado. He went on to become the Rehabilitative Fitness Coordinator for Health South Outpatient Rehab Centers in Northern Colorado. With his interest in rehabilitative exercise, Don then became a Practitioner of Pilates for Rehabilitation and Pilates Mat work in 2001. Don opened his first Pilates studio in December of 2004, and then opened his current location in the beautiful Palmer Flowers Retail Center in 2009. In 2014 Don launched Big Toe Studio Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training School, which changed its name to Pilates Career Institute, the school compliments the Pilates studio while training student teachers to be experts in utilizing Rehab based Pilates to reach all levels of potential for clients, students and teachers.
“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.” Joseph Pilates
Sandy Camren
Pilates Teacher
Sandy first started her Pilates experience in 2002 while rehabilitating from an injury sustained while training for a half marathon. The positive results of Pilates exercises allowed Sandy to recover from her injuries and then prepare her for a 6-month open ocean sailing adventure. That is when Sandy realized how wonderful Pilates really was.
In 2022 Sandy returned to Big Toe Studio to continue learning more about the positive effects of Pilates exercises. After a short time, Sandy enrolled in the Pilates Career Institute teacher training program. Upon competition of the rigorous PCI teacher training, Sandy earned a Certificate of Completion as a PCI recognized Pilates Teacher.
Always seeking more challenges and opportunities to further her educational experiences, Sandy successfully completed the National Certified Pilates Teacher exam and is now nationally and internationally recognized as a Certified Pilates Teacher. Big Toe Studio brought this skilled Pilates teacher on to the staff where Sandy also became the Administer of BTS and PCI programs while teaching a full schedule of group and private Pilates sessions.
Sandy is currently taking continuing education classes to further her career as a skilled teacher of the Pilates Method. When not at the studio, Sandy enjoys spending time with her children Austin and Ashley. Louie the forever 4-legged friend considers Sandy his support human.
Sandy enjoys dancing, exercise, knitting, Pilates, and guiding clients to a better and healthier lifestyle using her deep understanding of how they share the positive effects of the Pilates Method.
