OUR TEAM

Carla Sconce

Owner and Founder of HIIT Pilates, Carla promises you’ll never do a boring workout again. Every class is different - she’s always tweaking a rep count, move combo, or tempo variation... and pulses, nothing beats low-range pulses.

In addition to her certifications in Pilates mat and reformer, Carla is a qualified Personal Trainer, Barre and Boxilates instructor. While her classes are strong, they are focussed on functional movement patterns to help clients move well in their daily lives. After years of hearing from clients, “I love reformer, but I’m missing cardio”, and equally, “I hurt myself at the gym, I’ve been told to try Pilates” she created HIIT Pilates mixing the best of high intensity interval training with the control and alignment of reformer Pilates.

Carla understands everyone leads busy lives but that if we love what we’re doing and nurture our body, we can achieve great things. She believes that Pilates focus on posture, core stability and strength makes it an important practice for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Alice Watt-Smith

Alice's fitness journey started over 12 years ago where she utilised strength training at the gym to help recover from an injury.

Since then she has tried many different kinds of fitness including CrossFit, Pole Fitness and Powerlifting (her favourite - second only to reformer at HIIT Pilates).

Her training in reformer began about 4 years ago. Looking for something to couple with her powerlifting, she was recommended HIIT Pilates by a friend and never looked back.

Falling in love with the atmosphere and the trainers she has been a regular at classes across all 3 studios and finally decided to see what it was like being on the other side of the reformer for once, she enrolled in the HIIT Pilates Academy in 2023.

Alice is excited to help you realise your potential through reformer pilates and would love to help you see yourself growing stronger with each class!

Bridgett Ledak

Bridgett loves all things movement - yoga, walking, swimming - but Pilates will always have her heart. She discovered the practice eight years ago as an outlet from her corporate consulting career and quickly fell in love. Inspired to share that joy with others, she took the leap into teaching.

Bridgett is passionate about making Pilates accessible to everyone. She’s committed to creating a welcoming, supportive space for people of all abilities, grounded in her belief that wellness is a right we all share. Her favourite part of teaching is watching students build confidence in their movement and get excited to explore new progressions.

Outside the studio, Bridgett still works in corporate but treasures the time she spends teaching and practising with her HIIT community in Surry Hills. When she’s not on the reformer, you can usually find her soaking up the sun at the beach or binging the latest Netflix release.

Charlotte Trower

Charlotte, originally from New Zealand, specialises in intelligently programmed, full-body sessions that emphasise strength, control, alignment, and progression. Alongside teaching, Charlotte also works in marketing and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in Consumer Food Science and Marketing, reflecting her interest in people, communication, and wellbeing.

With a coaching background as a former coxswain, she’s known for her clear cueing, calm authority, and motivating presence, creating classes that are technical yet warm, supportive, and confidence building.

Dakota Leonard

Dakota is currently studying her Advanced Diploma in Performing Arts and comes from a strong dance background. After completing her certification with HIIT Pilates Academy, she has discovered how powerful Pilates can be - not just for building strength and flexibility, but for developing body awareness, stability, and control.

She’s a little obsessed with Pilates and loves that walking into the studio allows space to truly connect to your body and switch off from the noise in your head. With a mix of Pilates and HIIT, expect a challenging, energising class that leaves you feeling strong, centred, and accomplished. Honestly… what more could you ask for?

Ellie Mellor Hine

Ellie is a professional dancer and all-round movement enthusiast, with a background that spans everything from calisthenics to long-distance road cycling. She has always used strength training to optimise her performance and since discovering reformer Pilates, it has taken every aspect of her training to the next level. Her approach is grounded in science, tailored to real-life bodies, and designed to get you strong, energised, and moving with purpose.

Whether you’re building strength, chasing performance goals, or simply wanting to feel better in your body, Ellie’s sessions are here to help you train smart, move pain-free, and feel empowered.

Isabella Gibson-Giorgio

Before completing her Reformer certification through HIIT Pilates Academy, Isabella had tried every fitness modality - from functional weights, boxing, barre & cardio heavy classes. Isabella found her perfect fit in HIIT Pilates, where everything she loves about training comes together in one class.

With a background in competitive sport, she’s always valued conditioning training that supports a strong, balanced body. For Isabella, fitness is a non-negotiable; it keeps both her body and mind healthy.

Expect to walk out of class feeling sweaty, strong, and with a big hit of dopamine!

Joanne Tsai

Joanne started her reformer pilates journey as a student at HIIT Pilates when it first opened and hasn’t regretted joining since. Being quite time poor, managing corporate work life, social life and exercise in her daily routine, she found that she needed something that would give her a full body workout in one class, and HIIT Pilates was the perfect combination.

Over the years, Joanne wished to share with you her experience and journey of becoming stronger (physically and mentally) and so completed her training with the HIIT Academy.

Her full body workouts will have you leaving her class feeling challenged, fulfilled and energised.

Laura Feeney

Laura has always loved to move. She has been practising Mat Pilates for many years and has long been drawn to the way movement strengthens not just the body, but the mind. For her, it’s never been just about exercise, it’s about how you feel. Movement is her reset button, a way to switch off from the noise of everyday life and reconnect to yourself.

After moving to Australia three years ago, she discovered Reformer Pilates and instantly fell in love. The combination of strength, control and flow felt powerful yet grounding. Laura believes movement is key to building confidence, presence and a deeper mind-to-body connection. It’s about zoning out, tuning in, and leaving feeling strong, aligned and genuinely good in your own body.

She can't wait to share that feeling with others, helping them experience the same fulfilment, energy and empowerment that Pilates brings.

Lauren Wilson

A self professed HIIT Pilates addict, Lauren began attending classes at HIIT after the first COVID lockdown, when she’d grown tired of home workouts and needed inspiration to get moving again. After her Intro Pass she was hooked, and in time it was a natural progression for her to study Pilates Instruction under the tutelage of HIIT’s very own Carla Sconce.

Lauren says, “It’s amazing that HIIT pilates gives me the best of body weight work and also heavy resistance & weights. I love the fact that we as a studio embrace everyone from all fitness levels, and that’s what I strive for in my classes: to make the class achievable for those starting out as well as challenging for those pushing their strength and balance. I look forward to seeing you in class!”

Lynn Young

Lynn started Pilates simply as a way to move her body after recovering from an injury and quickly became obsessed. Before long, she was bringing along friends and coworkers to join her on the reformer.

Fuelled by her passion, she decided to undertake the HIIT Pilates Academy teaching program.

Lynn is all about feel-good movement that leaves you stronger, stretched, and smiling. Her classes strike that perfect balance of energising and uplifting, with just the right amount of spice.

Nicole Cummins

Having studied over 20 years of dance, (jazz, contemporary and classical ballet) the importance of good posture, strength, flexibility, mobility, stability and control has been deeply ingrained in Nicole. It was no surprise she was drawn toward Pilates. Soon becoming quite the reformer addict, Nic wanted to go further and so completed her reformer teacher training program through HIIT Pilates Academy.

Nic truly believes the combination of HIIT and reformer pilates is the perfect answer to full body health, fitness and wellbeing for any age, gender or fitness level!

Randall Taylor

Randall firmly believes movement is medicine. Getting out of the mind and into the body is when the magic happens.

With a background in Iyengar & Vinyasa Yoga, coupled with a strong discipline in Reformer Pilates, he has a keen focus on alignment, precision and functional movement. He's passionate about HIIT Pilates' unique approach to Reformer Pilates as it challenges both his mind and body.

Randall completed his Reformer Pilates Instructor Certification in 2023 under the guidance of Carla Sconce at the HIIT Pilates Academy, and has also completed a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in 2019.

You'll walk out of Randall's class feeling lighter, brighter and a smile beaming across your face. He can't wait to see you at the studio!

Shirley Chan

Starting her journey in reformer Pilates eight years ago, Shirley has been hooked ever since - no matter where in the world she was living. From Sydney to Toronto to London, she balanced a demanding corporate career with her passion for movement, always finding her way back to the reformer.

What began as a personal practice evolved into completing the HIIT Pilates Academy certification, then teaching, and now, as the studio owner of HIIT Pilates Surry Hills, Shirley brings a results-driven approach to every class. Blending mindful movement with high-intensity training, her sessions are designed to unlock your body’s full potential while strengthening the mind-body connection. Expect to sweat, strengthen, and surprise yourself with what you can achieve.

Sophia Kalas

Sophia discovered her love for fitness at a young age when she first picked up a tennis racquet. Growing up, she spent years training and competing, which sparked a lifelong passion for movement and performance.

With over 10 years in the fitness industry, Sophia began her career as a club manager before completing her certifications and moving into coaching. Since then, she has taught across various disciplines including Pilates, spin, strength & conditioning, and HIIT. She is a qualified group coach, personal trainer, and reformer instructor.

Sophia is especially passionate about empowering others to take control of their health and fitness. She focuses on educating clients so they understand the why behind every workout, helping them build lasting confidence in their bodies. For Sophia, the greatest joy is witnessing her clients feel stronger, fitter, and more empowered as they progress on their fitness journey.

Yasmin Hardie

Yasmin is currently studying a bachelor of health science in Naturopathy and has practiced various forms of yoga over the past 10 years. Yasmin recently discovered Pilates after having just moved to Sydney and was immediately addicted. The feeling of finding equilibrium in strength, agility, coordination and balance left Yasmin wanting more. Pilates provides such a fun and creative outlet to explore our body’s potential, our mental stamina and to deepen our connection to each breath and movement.

Yasmin loves to see each student finishing a challenging class with a blissful smile and a big red-faced post-exercise glow! Yasmin believes our bodies demand to be challenged in order to grow and flourish both physically, mentally and emotionally.