Team Pilates

  Lead Instructor of Metro Pilates Studio, Ashley Capenos was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. She received a comprehensive Pilates Apparatus certification through Balanced Body Pilates in 2019 and became certified for prenatal/postnatal Pilates in 2020. Pilates has always played a huge part of Ashley’s life. Around age 12, Ashley was introduced to Pilates Reformer in order to build strength and prevent injuries in her softball pitching. More recently, she gave birth to her first son. “No matter what I have going on in my life, whatever I’m training for or recovering from, Pilates has helped me,” says Ashley. Metro Pilates Studio is very personal. This is the gym she was raised in. Metro Fitness Club Owner/President, Randy Sabourin happens to be her Dad. After beginning her certification process in 2016 here, Ashley moved out to CO to explore what was possible with teaching Pilates. She taught for 7 various boutique and franchise studios in the Denver metro area and fell in love with teaching group Pilates Equipment classes. Now, Ashley is excited to be back in Syracuse to share this movement practice with you! She loves that Pilates is so versatile, that it really can be catered to help everyone. If you take a class with Ashley, you’re most likely going to feel muscles you didn’t know you needed, and maybe hear a funny story about her cat, Kevin. Ashley is available for private lessons week nights and Saturdays. 

 Emily is a Certified Pilates Instructor from Syracuse, NY. She earned her comprehensive certification to teach apparatus and mat Pilates methods while living in Pittsburgh, PA in 2018.  

 Emily’s passion for Pilates grew slowly and steadily from the first moment she placed her feet on the footbar. Since then, Pilates has become a constant reminder to Emily of the body’s ability to rebuild and restore.  Some of Emily’s clients have said things like, “I can tell I’m getting stronger,” or “How did you know I’d be able to do that?” because she strives to find a balance between the client’s comfort level and her confidence in their strength and capabilities.  Join Emily in a group class or for a private training session and you’ll learn just how capable you are. You’ll also hear about her lovable rescue dog, Toby, and how much she loves coffee, hiking and listening to podcasts.  

 Reid is a Pilates Instructor from Mexico, NY. She is currently studying for her Balanced Body Comprehensive  Pilates Instructor Exam.  She started her Pilates journey through her Rheumatologist .  Reid has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. She had her first Pilates one on one with Ashley at Metro Fitness and was hooked.  Her passion is learning more about Pilates and rehabilitation and always finding the joy of movement. Since she had her first lesson with Ashley to now her favorite things to do involve learning, teaching, and doing Pilates!  When not in the studio, Reid is a Restaurant Manager and is restoring a historic house with her cat Mystic (who loves Mat time). She loves to have fun in the studio and loves to chat or just find the breath and breathe it out. 

 Kathleen Frizzi is a certified Pilates Instructor from Syracuse, NY. She earned her comprehensive Pilates apparatus certification from Balanced Body in Manhattan in 2013. Kathleen is also a certified Yoga instructor for over 20 years.  Kathleen started studying Pilates in 1995 at as a Modern Dance Major at SUNY Brockport. Studying movement methods including Somatics (certified Level 1), Feldenkrais Method, Alexander Technique, Tai chi, Qi Gong, and Capoeira, Yoga, Pilates, Dance, Fitness, and Personal Training.  In 2010, Kathleen returned to studying Pilates intensely with Joy Karley in NYC. She then worked with Metro Fitness for six years in The Pilates Studio from 2010 to 2017.   Kathleen’s knowledge of movement and anatomy is deep, and she’s very comfortable working with clients going through rehabilitation, pre and post surgery, chronic pain and ailments, injury prevention, lifestyle changes, and functional movement training. She offers one-on-one sessions on Reformer and all apparatus. Or check the schedule for her classes.

Cara was born and raised locally in Manlius, NY.  She received her Balanced Body comprehensive Pilates apparatus instructor training from Master Instructor, Jessica Moss, at the Pilates Core Center in NJ in 2021-22.  She is currently working towards her national certification exams as well as continuing to expand her scope of practice & education in Pilates.  

Cara began practicing Pilates over 20 years ago as a preteen with a couple VHS tapes in her bedroom which eventually evolved into group mat classes locally at a gym and continuing her passion for Pilates in college while completing her bachelor's degree in Psychology from LeMoyne in 2010.  Cara accredits & relies on Pilates for consistently providing relief from chronic knee & back pain since childhood due to physiological conditions and past injuries.  For the last 7 years, she has been practicing with another local Balanced Body instructor in Fayetteville, NY until becoming a regular fixture in Metro Pilates Studio reformer classes upon opening in October 2021. 

In 2018, Cara also completed a certification as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in NYC.  She is passionate about sharing her knowledge & experiences in following a largely plant based lifestyle and always finding more ways to enjoy fresh & local produce in every meal! 

Outside of the studio, Cara enjoys spending her time at home with her two big dogs, cat & rabbit. She enjoys being creative in her kitchen, working on household projects, various fiber crafts & watching documentaries, as well as getting out on the water during the short Syracuse summer months on her paddle board.  Whenever possible, she also enjoys traveling and spend time with her loved ones!