Meet Jemima McConnell Smith
Meet Jemima McConnell Smith
Meet Jemima McConnell Smith
Jemima is a passionate and empathetic Pilates instructor who brings a grounded and inclusive approach to every class. With a background in movement and a personal journey through injury and recovery, she understands the body’s capacity to heal and grow. Her teaching ethos centres on creating a welcoming space where all bodies and abilities are supported, with a focus on mindful movement, strength, and long-term wellbeing.
About Jemima
Jemima brings warmth, resilience, and a deep sense of empathy to every Pilates class she leads. With a background in dance, movement and expression have always been central to her life. However, after sustaining a spinal injury, she turned to mat Pilates as part of her rehabilitation journey, pre and post operation. The experience was transformative — not only aiding her physical recovery but also sparking a profound appreciation for the method’s power to heal, strengthen, and restore confidence in the body.
Just four months post operation, Jemima began her Pilates teacher training, determined to share the benefits of Pilates with others. Her classes are grounded in precision, care, and a genuine desire to help clients connect with their bodies in a supportive, empowering way. Jemima understands firsthand the challenges of recovery and brings that insight into her teaching, creating a safe space for people of all levels to move, grow, and feel their best.
Jemima's Pilates Teaching
Jemima’s teaching is rooted in the classical principles of matwork Pilates — precision, control, breath, concentration, flow, and centring. She believes these foundations are key to building strength, improving posture, and developing a deeper connection between mind and body. Her classes are carefully structured to support all levels, offering progressions and modifications so that every client feels both challenged and supported, no matter their experience.
What Jemima loves most about Pilates is its ability to meet people exactly where they are. Whether you're recovering from injury, building core strength, or simply looking to move with more ease and awareness, her sessions are designed to help you feel strong, capable, and more at home in your body. With a calm and encouraging teaching style, she brings both technical precision and intuitive care to her classes, creating a space where everyone can move with confidence and intention.
Qualifications: Level 3 Diploma in Instructing Pilates Matwork
First aid: HTSTraining
Random Facts About Jemima
- She is a lifelong vegetarian
- Jemima has a background in musical theatre, graduating from the BTEC course at Emil Dale Academy
- Her other hobbies include reading and baking
- Jemima absolutely loves Christmas! (she even started decorating in October last year)