Turning The Tables

When a tumor on her spinal cord left her paralyzed from the chest down, Pilates teacher Susan Wilson, 58, relied on the method to get back on her feet.

- Susan Wilson, as told to Beth Johnson

I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A FEISTY, TYPE A PERSONALITY, WITH LOADS OF ENERGY. After college, I started working at McNeil Pharmaceutical, a division of Johnson and Johnson, in the corporate finance department. That same year, in 1981 when I was 23, I married my husband, who was in medical school. Over time, as my husband established his family practice, I had two children and moved into Johnson and Johnson’s information technology division. It was a lot to juggle.

In 1999, my husband suddenly had to have a 15-hour heart operation. In the aftermath, I reassessed my priorities and decided to leave the corporate world. Our son and daughter were 11 and eight, and after the scare of almost losing their father, I wanted to be home more. So I made the switch to becoming a consultant—the hours were more flexible, and I loved being my own boss.

No matter what, I had always made time to stay in shape. I had been an athlete in high school and was a runner throughout much of my adulthood. So in 2002, when a friend suggested I join her at a mat class at Pilates of the Lehigh Valley, I jumped right in.

LOVE AT FIRST ROLL-UP

After my first mat class, Susan Munshower (who had been trained by Romana Kryzanowska) suggested I try the equipment next time. I was both flattered and excited. I knew right away that I had found something important for myself. I started taking classes every week, and I even got my mother doing it. It became a godsend for her as she dealt with her aging body.

TRAINING WITH ROMANA