Former apprentice lands top job for latest Sandwell fitness craze

Grace Espinosa, age 20 from West Bromwich, is a new instructor in Reformer Pilates at Wednesbury Leisure Centre (WLC) – one of eight facilities operated by Kore Wellness (formerly Sandwell Leisure Trust) on behalf of Sandwell Council – which was recently introduced at the High Bullen centre following a £130,000 investment for the purpose-built new studio.

Reformer Pilates offers low-impact strength, mobility, posture and injury prevention benefits and the Pilat3s version at WLC is also a unique Reformer concept in that it combines lights, music and screens to create a highly immersive experience for members.

Grace, who only joined Kore as an apprentice towards the end of 2024, explains: “In December I was informed that Reformer Pilat3s was coming to WLC and having been given the chance to become one of their instructors, I couldn’t say no to this amazing opportunity. The training was brilliant and enabled me to pass my exam and now I have my very own weekly classes which I absolutely love teaching.

“My particular classes are Align, which focuses on open-rotation and twisting movements and is ideal for relieving stiffness, improving flexibility and providing a gentle, active recovery, plus Power which incorporates dumbbells and compound movements and builds strength and endurance while working multiple muscle groups at once.

“I’m really grateful to Kore Sandwell for putting their trust in me for this latest premium guided workout experience, which follows on from the pool lifeguard, level 2 swim teacher and level 2 gym instructor qualifications I trained for and gained during my apprenticeship.”

Grace came to Kore Sandwell straight from Birmingham Ormiston Academy, where she studied dance and got her diploma. She has been dancing since she was four years old and has performed in many shows and competitions – so a career path in leisure, fitness and wellbeing seemed logical.

Kore Wellness Centre Manager Simon Bryan adds: “We put a lot of faith in our apprenticeship programme and it’s a great regional example of how opportunities, hard work and passion can flourish together. We’re committed to supporting local youngsters in developing a career path in Leisure, plus helping young people get jobs is a top priority for Sandwell Council. 

“Grace has been exceptional all the way through her time with us and the Reformer Pilates coaching slots are her just reward. This is on top of her work supervising pool safety and activities such as Aqua Mayhem; coaching children from Level 1 -7 as a fully qualified swim teacher, plus instructing in the gym and making a difference for our customers on their health and wellbeing journeys.”