RAE HARVEY: It's exciting how I see my improvement. Just this week Claire said to me, I think that particular exercise is getting too easy for you, so we'll put weights on your legs, on your ankles next time.

And so we did that yesterday. And that was really good, you know, and I thought, I'm really getting stronger. And it helps you to develop a good posture.

 I've learned to concentrate on my body and

to be aware to keep my shoulders back and my back as straight as I can, even though I'm a bit hunched over being 81. But then when I see other old ladies, I think, well, I'm not doing so bad.

INTRO: Pilates business owners, welcome to The Pilates Business Podcast, brought to you by the people who own, operate, and instruct in a successful clinical Pilates studio in Australia. 

Our mission is to help you to discover Pilates business assets to build your clinical Pilates business success. And now, here's your host, David Gunther. 

DAVID GUNTHER: What would you do if a surgeon looked you in the eye and said, Without urgent surgery, you could be paralyzed? For most of us, that moment would be a cliff edge. 

A line between the life we thought we lived and a future we never imagined. That was reality for our guest today, Ray Harvey. After a decade of chronic pain and major spinal fusion surgery, Ray could have easily lost her independence.

Instead, she found strength, mobility and freedom again through Pilates At 81 years old. Ray's story is living proof that Pilates doesn't just build muscles or posture. It restores dignity, creativity, and family connection. And it's why we say with conviction, Pilates can change lives. In this episode, you'll hear Ray's journey from bolts in her spine to joy in her movement, and why the role of Pilates studios and instructors in our communities is more vital than ever.

So whether you are listening on your drive to the studio between clients, or while grabbing a quiet moment for yourself, lean in. 

This story will remind you why the work you do matters. Let's get started. 

Welcome Rae to Pilates Can and the Pilates business podcast. We've had a good morning here. And so We're gonna get, straight into it. Rae I'm gonna be asking you questions and you are gonna be telling us the story of where it started. The first part is. With your personal journey is setting the context of why you chose Pilates.

Where were you at before you chose Pilates Rae? 

RAE: Well I'd been having a lot of lower back pain for about 10 years, and I've tried everything, every professional person you could think of and nothing helped. And one night there was an old friend came to visit and hadn't seen me for years and he saw how I was having trouble getting up from the table and he asked me what was wrong and I told him, and he got a piece of paper and he said, you've gotta go and see this woman Claire Gunther. And I think within the next week I came up here and saw Claire, and that was the beginning of it. 

DAVID: That's right. And we remember that because you had some significant issues with your body and with your mobility, that meant that you did need to really address those in a way that was going to be effective tell us more about that.

RAE: Yeah. Well, Before that I was a very active person. I used to walk for an hour every single day. I used to go to the gym, I thought I was really fit. I thought I was gonna be a really fit old lady. And when I got to 70, everything seemed to be just falling apart. and because I didn't wanna have surgery, I kept telling my doctor I definitely wouldn't have surgery. So looking back on my records, I can see for that whole 10 years I was on painkillers trying to help and. I remember one physio saying to me look, I can't take your money anymore because there's nothing I can do.

 And then finally my doctor said, look, why don't you go up to Sydney and see this surgeon? And, just ask him for advice. So we made an appointment and I went in and I said to him I'm not here for surgery. I'm only here for advice. So he sent me for an X-ray. It's called an EOS, where he's standing up.

Then he interviewed us and he said it would be very remiss of me not to tell you that if you don't have surgery, as a matter of urgency. You'll be paralyzed. And that, 

DAVID: Wow. 

Rae Harvey: That was a huge shock. So he said you can get another opinion but we liked him and so I agreed to it.

And then because he had a cancellation only about three weeks later I had the surgery. And really, I didn't understand what I was having done because it all happened so quickly. I was in hospital in Sydney for a month. So I was fused across my pelvis and all the way up my spine to just under my shoulder blades.

 Before I had the surgery, I was already going to Pilates and so Claire knew all about it and she prepared In that three weeks, we tried to prepare me for, what I do after the surgery. And then probably I came back to Pilates about six weeks afterwards, and I remember the first day when I went home and I'm sure I couldn't do much.

 I was so exhausted I had to go to sleep. that was five years ago. And now, looking at me, nobody would have any idea what's inside my body. All those screws and stuff, you know,

DAVID: That's an incredible story. And when we look at the pictures of those screws and the metal that's in there, it certainly was a hugely invasive and, we assume necessary according to the surgeon with those sort of risks that they described and.

For you to have gone through that is a testament for your own stick to itness and persistence and ability to be a survivor Rae. And that's probably very much. Helped you with your preparation for that as well as, I don't think you ever totally recover from that situation.

You, you tell us but certainly you've been able to be mobile since yeah. So tell us more about that journey. Well.

RAE: I had no idea that after the surgery, after everything was over, that I wouldn't be able to bend. So I can't put socks on. I can't do up shoes. And because it's only really my shoulder blades that are moving in my back, I get a lot of pain, it was hard to accept that I wouldn't be able to do all those things that I used to do. But then, I keep saying to myself I'm 81 years old, what do you expect? 

You know, and then I see other old ladies. I was following an old lady yesterday with a walking stick, and she was just probably my age.

She was so slow and she could hardly get up the stairs. That could have been me maybe if I hadn't have come to Pilates, 

DAVID: Yes. It's about the things that you can do as much as avoiding not being able to do things if, that's possible. But when it's not possible and things happen in people's lives, it's then how can I make the most of it?

And, And, we're lucky to have you as a client, Rae, because you make the most of your Pilates, you make the most of your life with what you've got. And that relationship between our instructors and your, persistence and attitude and positiveness is just a joy for our instructors. I know that. And that's the magic formula, isn't it? 

RAE: Yes, that's right. I'm a designer. I don't know if you knew that, David. I design clothing out of vintage kimono fabric and, before all of this, before my body started falling apart, I was so, so much and I made all these beautiful clothes, each one of them completely individual, and they went all over the world.

They were sold in Ireland and around Australia. And then after the surgery, I had to slow right down. But I was still doing a little bit of sewing. But Claire was really great that each time that I came to Pilates, she always asked me, how is your body? Have you got any problems?

And when she'd feel my spine and my back and my shoulders, she'd say, have you been sewing? And I'd say yes. And she'd say look, what about if you just sober for an hour and then go and do something, do an exercise or something, and then go back? You know? So I've had to cut down and gradually, I'm hardly doing any of it now, but I'd love to be able to do it. But you can't do everything. 

DAVID: Tell us more about that material. You mentioned a certain type of material that you were using and presumably you're still doing a little bit of that so you're wearing something lovely at the moment. What do you describe that garment as well?

RAE: This, This is all pieces of vintage kimono. Okay. And I've cut circles out of it. Yeah, all different sizes. And then I've scattered the circles over the skirt of the dress. 

DAVID: And it looks lovely. I must say we, need to get a photo of that Rae. Yeah. At some point, I know you we will be putting your photo out on the.

On the promo, on the socials as they say because it is part of your motivation for your journey with mobility and how Pilates has helped you.

So the impact of Pilates on your life, Rae. What were your initial expectations of Pilates before you came?

RAE: I had absolutely no idea I'd heard of Pilates. I knew people that went to Pilates, but I imagined it was going to be like a big gym or something, and so when I came here the first time I came there was just Claire and I and then. I was so surprised that the classes are so small, like five, maybe six people at the most, two teachers and everyone doing something individual suitable for their body. When you look around the room, there's not one single person doing the same thing.

And there's lots of things I can't do. And in the beginning I didn't even know where that. There would be enough movements that I could do, because I was so restricted. And yeah, sometimes I envy the others when I see them all doing all these other things that I know I'll never be able to do, but I've just gotta accept.

Yeah. 

DAVID: Yes. And you have accepted that and you've put a lot of work into doing what you can do and making and expanding what you can do a little bit and maintaining also, which is important. You can still do a bit of sewing as long as you put some other movement in there as well and you're not.

Too still for too long, it sounds is the Yeah. The reason Claire's mentioned that. 

RAE: Yes. And also it's exciting how I see my improvement. Just this week Claire said to me, I think that particular exercise is getting too easy for you, so we'll put weights on your legs. On your ankles next time.

And so we did that yesterday. And that was really good, you know, and I thought, I'm really getting stronger. And there's other things that on the reformer that I'm doing that I could never have done before. 

DAVID: That must be very satisfying for you. Yeah. To have that personalized approach and To have an instructor like Claire be able to identify what is the correct progression for you to improve so that you can. Realize that you can improve, that you can actually do better than what you had done previously.

RAE: And then sometimes we try a new exercise and I'll say, no, it doesn't feel right.

And then Claire says, okay, it's always good to try something, but if it doesn't work we'll we just leave that and go into something else. 

DAVID: And again, that's one of the advantages of our. Brand of Pilates that can change lives, which is that you've got that relationship with the instructor. Certainly they're the expert, but you are the expert in your body.

RAE: That's right. 

DAVID: You know your body better than anybody, and if you can communicate that to and fro with your instructor, then that's a, very valuable. Sort of relations. That's right. 

RAE: It is. And I remember when I first started Claire would say, how are you today? And I'd say, good. And then throughout the hour, she'd find out that I wasn't good.

And she'd say, why didn't you tell me about that? And I said, because I've been brought up to not complain about things. And if someone asks you how you are, you say, good. Even if you're not good. And she said, no, that's not what we want. I want you to tell me what's wrong so we can work around it.

So that's the first thing. She always asks everybody, how's your body today? 

DAVID: Yes. And that starts off that communication in the session. And it gives you permission. To actually say well, maybe I'm not so good at thinking about it. Even if we're talking to you in your eighties.

So when you were a child, I guess when you were born in the decades that you grew up how, How far back was that?

RAE: I was born in nineteen forty three, 

DAVID: Nineteen forty three. So the middle of World War II and coming into the. The late forties as a toddler.Yeah. And then into the the fifties as a teenager, were you on happy days or? Was that, what were you on Happy Days? The show about the Fawns and, oh, no, because I've never watched TV in my life. 

RAE: We don't have tv. 

DAVID: Okay. Alright. Yeah. That's interesting. Yeah. Tell us about what are the reasons why you don't have, when 

RAE: Television came out in 1956?I come from a really poor family. We didn't have a television, but we were invited to other people's places to go and watch it. And so I was only about 12 or 13 and it'd be a social sort of thing, and I used to say, mom, do I have to go? I just, I'm not interested. And because I've always loved reading, I'd say, look, I wanna stay home and read my book.And that's the way I've always been.

DAVID: That's terrific. And that no doubt has put you in good stead with learning things and doing things that are more specific rather than being, opening yourself up to the television side of things with the way that works in. So it's advertising 

RAE: and our three children grew up with our television they all went to university and did so well. And I think that was because they all had such a good reading habit because they love reading. 

DAVID: Yes. Yes. And I know Claire loves reading as well. She has her Kindle, and whenever she's a Kindle, she's got some downtime, which isn't very often often as she's she'd like, because she's very busy with sessions and And family and so forth. Yeah, she gets onto the Kindle and, yeah, 

RAE: I'd be lost without my Kindle. 

DAVID Yes. Yes. It's a very, handy apparatus. Alright we'll move on. And tell us more about how perhaps the relationship with your mobility and the improvement of your mobility has assisted your development with activities, let's say activities with your family. So you mentioned your family, just recently there. how has Pilates and your ability to be mobile in your later years Mm. Despite the health condition that you've had and the major surgery that you've had tell us about that. 

RAE: Well, Because everybody lives interstate at the moment. You know, I've got two grandchildren at uni in Wollongong. 

So it all involves traveling to see them in the moment, at least now I can sit in a car for. A number of hours or sit in a plane without discomfort, and I've always been very involved in my grandchildren's lives. Always. It seems strange not to have them here in Canberra, but they come and visit as often as they can and we are very close.

DAVID: The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is very, very special and very different. It's, yeah. To the relationship with parents and children. Tell us more about the activities that you might be able to do at the moment with the grandchildren 

RAE: I can't walk. For a long time, I can walk and, if you saw me walking, you'd think there's nothing wrong. But then I get tired really quickly and the kids grandkids know that. So mostly we go out for meals. That's what we spend our time or else cooking. Because everyone in my family is mad about cooking.

And they're all very good at it. Yeah, that's about it. 

DAVID: Comparing your. Grandchildren's cooking skills and their eating skills at restaurants that's a strange comparison. I know, but what are their parallels between, do they eat as well as restaurants as they cook or better?

RAE: We had them a lot because my son broke up with his first wife and he got custody of the four children right when they were only really young, so they spent a lot of time with us, and so we started taking them to restaurants when they were really young and. They, sometimes say to us now, you taught us everything we know.

They know how to behave in a restaurant. And they've all got really interesting food tastes and they all know everything about food. Yeah. 

DAVID: And that relationship again when you're around a meal or in the kitchen, yeah. Often that's where the best. Natural communication. Yeah, that's right. It is to take place and yeah.

And again, that relationship with television that you mentioned earlier, that takes away a lot of that communication. Yes. But the discussion around food can be a useful thing to bring. Yes. And when 

RAE: my chil my three children were growing up because we didn't have television meal, dinner time, would.

Take quite a while and we'd be all sitting there. And that was a time when they'd tell us things. We used to sit around the fire, and I know this sounds corny, but we used to read poetry and take it in turns, like Banjo Patterson or someone like that. So there was always that communication, and they'd come in from school and say, guess what happened today? And tell us all about it. So yeah, that's why I think there's a closeness between us all. 

DAVID: Yes. And considering the way your life could have been, because this series is called Pilates Can Change Lives, obviously you've brought a lot to the.

The party there the Pilates party. but Pilates has brought something for you. What could the alternative and we don't really want to think too much on this one as well, too much, but what could the alternative have looked like for you and perhaps your relationship with your grandchildren?

RAE: I mean. I probably would've ended up in a wheelchair. So it would've been terrible. I would have a dreadful life. Whereas now, I do everything, I travel and although I've stopped going overseas now because it's too long to sit in a plane.

but I just wanted to say another thing about Pilates is I think it's really important to go twice a week I, it was good when I was coming once a week, but once I started going twice a week, I noticed a huge improvement. 

DAVID: that's a very good point, Rae, because we recommend to people who are just starting that they should, initially come once per week, and that's about helping them to most easily create an excellent Pilates exercise habit. And so it doesn't impact too much on their lifestyle to begin with, and it doesn't become overwhelming. Yeah. For, with everything else that they're trying to do. You recognizing that, then the more that you can do mm-hmm. during a week, and I know you, you possibly do as a lot of our clients do exercises at home as well. Some don't. that ability to do that is very. Helpful to your Pilates exercise habit, to that excellent Pilates exercise habit. And 

RAE: also it helps you to develop a good posture, i've learned to concentrate on my body and to always be aware to keep my shoulders back and my back as straight as I can, even though I'm a bit hunched over being 81. But then when I see other old ladies, I think, well, I'm not doing so bad. 

DAVID: Oh, you, you are doing very well, Rae, and last question here.

Tell us, how it feels, maybe emotionally or even physically, if you've got some words to describe that it's very important how it feels to be enabled the way you have been with your mobility. What's that feeling or emotion like physically, emotionally, 

RAE: I am fairly passionate about Pilates. I suppose I probably bore people about it sometimes. It's made such a difference to my life. I just can't imagine. What I would be doing without it. I can remember before I'd been to Pilates, I had a friend that she was going quite often, and I would think, oh, you know, you should go to the doctor, with that problem.

What Why go to Pilates? Because I had no idea what they did. And now of course, we both are always boring people about how good Pilates is. Yeah. So it's helped me. To keep on doing not everything that I want, but. To continue on with a normal life. 

DAVID: Yeah. Yes. Rae, look, that's been an excellent insight into your journey with Pilates and your body and mobility.

We thank you for that because you are going to be inspiring quite a number of other people. 

RAE: I hope so, uh, 

DAVID: around the world who will eventually listen to this. I get a bit emotional about this because when I say inspiration, it's not, necessarily easy to be in your shoes or to be in the shoes of a Pilates studio owner or a Pilates instructor.

So the more that we realize how special that is the more important it is to get that. Message out. So thank you for that because that's really for me why we're doing this. That's right. To help people realize how important their roles are within our communities, our local communities, and with individuals like you.

And with that effect that radiates out to your family. That's right. To your immediate family and to your friends. So thank you very much for that. That's been really valuable. It's been 

RAE: a pleasure. 

DAVID: Thank you.

RAE: Thank you for asking me.

DAVID: Thank you, Rae,

Rae's story is a powerful reminder of why Pilates isn't just another form of exercise. It's a lifeline. It's a way to give people back their strength, their independence, and even their hope for the future.

And that's why what you do as a Pilates business owner and instructor or practitioner is so important. You're not just teaching exercises, you are changing lives. If Rae's journey resonated with you, imagine how many more stories are waiting to be told in your own studio. That's the ripple effect of Pilates.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Pilates Business Podcast. If you found value in Ray's story,

share it with someone who needs to hear it and don't forget to subscribe so you can also hear the next story in our Pilates Can Change Lives series.

Until next time, keep inspiring and keep optimizing your Pilates business because Pilates can change lives.

OUTRO: You have been listening to the Pilates business podcast with David Gunther. If you are enjoying the show, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review. For more information or if you have any Pilates business questions, visit www.business.com.au..