The Rivercity Pilates team consists of a group of inspiring, highly knowledge professionals who are beyond passionate about helping others empower their body with healthy habits. Our movement teachers all come from diverse backgrounds and share a common vision of creating a welcoming space that encourages people to add more healthy movement into their life.
Owner &
Pilates Instructor
Carey Sadler is the owner and an instructor at Rivercity Pilates. Carey grew up in Evansdale, Iowa and is a Hawkeye graduating from the University of Iowa with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Carey originally thought she was going to go to PT school and then found Pilates and fell in love with the method and getting to share it with others. 23 years later and she is always grateful to get to spend her days teaching others to use the Pilates method in their life.
Carey loves working with clients of all levels and abilities. She is passionate about teaching the Pilates Method of exercise and truly believes that any body at any level can benefit from learning the method in their body.
Carey can help you create a fun, effective Pilates Practice through any combination of private sessions, group classes and a at home practice
Pilates Instructor
Brenda started her Pilates love around 2001 and began her practice with the Windsor Pilates DVD’s at home as she was getting tired of just walking on her treadmill. When she moved to Iowa in 2008 she won a gift certificate from Rivercity Pilates. After doing private sessions with Carey she realized how much she missed doing Pilates and how it helped with managing stress. Brenda is a graduate from Iowa State University with a degree in Animal Science. She has worked for Cargill for over 22 years and currently is a Risk & Trading Origination Manager for the Corn Plants in Eddyville & Cedar Rapids Iowa.
Pilates Instructor
Barre Instructor
Donny is originally from North Liberty and was involved in dance throughout her life up until college.
When she is not at the studio you can find her wrangling her two dogs. She enjoys taking early morning walks and SHOPPING!
Pilates Instructor
Kimberly has a degree in Communications, with minors in English and Art and is certified as an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
Kimberly discovered Rivercity Pilates in March 2012 as part of her lifelong search for exercise that worked & avoided injuries, while still being able to hold her attention. (Not an easy task!)
After exploring several locations, Kimberly was impressed by Rivercity’s dedication to individual attention and its small class sizes. The warm and cheerful nature of the studio then won her over completely.
Kimberly decided to deepen her Pilates experience by training to be a Pilates instructor.
Ask her questions! Give her feedback! If she doesn’t know the answer, she’ll have a blast seeking it out!
Personal Trainer
Strength Circuit Instructor
After more than 10 years of retirement, Colleen decided it was time to “get back in the game.” Why?
“Navigating the aging process and tuning out the anti-aging propaganda in a youth-obsessed culture is an ongoing challenge. I chose to be proactive in my own aging journey by researching and practicing what I call a pro-aging lifestyle—focused on improving and maintaining functional wellness. Now, I’m passionate about helping other women do the same.”
At Rivercity Pilates, Colleen offers:
Colleen holds a Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology and Health Behavior from the University of Iowa, is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and is a Certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She is also the former owner of Body and Balance and Rhodes to Fitness.
Outside the studio, you’ll find Colleen strength training, practicing Pilates and yoga, biking, walking, traveling, reading, enjoying time at Clear Lake, and spending time with family and friends.
Pilates Instructor
Rachel strives to help others find joy in movement while feeling included within the community. She works towards creating space for people who might not think they have a place in Pilates whether it’s because of gender identity, race, size or shape, physical state, or being neurodiverse.
Massage Therapist
Sara has a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology and is a licensed massage therapist. She spent 18 years working in biomedical research at the University of Iowa. During that time, she developed an interest in muscular pain and enrolled in East-West School of Integrated Healing Arts.
After graduation from East-West’s 1000 hour massage therapy program, Sara went on to be trained and master certified in Neural Reset Therapy®. Sara specializes in using massage for pain reduction and elimination. Whether you have acute or chronic pain, Sara uses different tools and techniques to get to the root of the problem.
Sara offers: Neural Reset Therapy®, Trigger Point Therapy, Deep Tissue Massage, Swedish Massage, Relaxation Massage, Sports Massage, Hot Stone and Prenatal Massage. Sara focuses on what you have going on. She can help with a recent or old injury, a joint replacement, fix a thrown-out back, migraines, tennis or golfers elbow, chronic neck or back pain, a neurological disorder, poor posture, small aches and pains, plantar fasciitis, or even just sleeping on your neck wrong. Sara works with healthcare providers to offer a great compliment to Western medicine.
Pilates Instructor
Shannon began taking Pilates mat classes in 2001 after reading about the exercise method. She immediately fell in love with the Pilates mat work and found that 3 classes a week, over a few months’ time, changed her body, how she related to her body, and how she breathed. Shannon felt Pilates enhanced everything from her posture to her running and decided to share its tremendous benefits with others through teaching.
Health and fitness have been a life-long interest for Shannon. She began teaching fitness classes and personal training in 2002 at the North Liberty Rec Center. Shannon Ottoson completed her instructor training to teach mat Pilates in 2005 and Reformer Pilates in 2008.
Shannon has been a psychiatric RN for 15 years and currently works out of her home for a company that manages Title XIX benefits for Iowans.
Pilates Instructor
Shiho Fechhelm was born in Japan in 1975. She moved to Cedar Rapids from Tokyo for schooling in 2001. She met her future husband in 2002 and decided to stay in Iowa. Shiho and her husband Noel have a family – a daughter and siberian husky.
She is a certified Mat Pilates instructor through Rivercity Pilates. She is also a certified ACSM personal trainer. She has been teaching group fitness classes such as SilverSneakers, Zumba, and Yoga. Shiho believes Pilates allows people to find a great balance between calmness and strength in their lives so they can keep their healthy and active lifestyle.
Yoga Instructor
Shuva Rahim first learned about yoga in 2004 during her Peace Corps service in the South American country of Suriname. Shortly thereafter she found a book about yoga, which she used to teach impromptu lessons to villagers in the jungle. In the years since, her yoga practice slowly, but gradually evolved – eventually leading to her 200 RYT in 2022 from Muddy Feet Yoga.
Shuva’s goal is to empower people of all shapes to incorporate yoga in their lives, and use their practice as a way to stay grounded while tackling challenges on and off the mat. Outside yoga, Shuva works as a software trainer for a higher-ed tech company, and is usually training for a long-distance race. She and her husband have two cats, and live in Iowa City.
Pilates Instructor
Mary is a retired physical therapist previously working with people with orthopedic problems. She began practicing Pilates around 2006 and went on to complete the Stott Pilates training program in 2009.
Mary is a firm believer in the need to “keep moving and finds Pilates and its principles very helpful for maintaining flexibility and strength. She feels it is an essential form of exercise to manage aches and pains while maintaining functional mobility.
Pilates and Yin Yoga Instructor