Toowoomba pilates studio Sculpt and Soul wins national industry award 2025

After struggling to find an exercise space that supported her after having kids, a Toowoomba mum created a safe community for other women. What started out with a few pilates classes in her lounge room is now an award-winning studio.

Sculpt and Soul owner Jess Darr instructs in the Toowoomba pilates and fitness studio, Friday, June 16, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Three years ago a Toowoomba woman started running pilates classes for her friends in her lounge room. Before long she bought two reformer machines, and within a year had started her own pilates studio, which is now being recognised nationwide.

Sculpt and Soul owner and trainer Jessica Darr said she struggled to find an exercise space she felt comfortable in after having her children.

“I really struggled to find a space that fit me and my needs and my goals,” she said.

“After having children I wanted to build more lean muscle, I needed pelvic floor support.”

Sculpt and Soul (from left) Sydnie Coulston, Tiarnie Neal, Jess Fitzgibbons and owner Jess Darr in the Toowoomba pilates and fitness studio, Friday, June 16, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Ms Darr said a lot of women don’t know how to support themselves through different phases of they cycles and their lives.

“We try to focus on programming tailored to women, their bodies, and their hormones. We’re not small men and we should be training differently,” she said.

“The biggest thing is women finding it hard to find their tribe and find a group of like-minded women. Just offering a safe space for women to move with dignity and with purpose.”

Sculpt and Soul also offers child friendly classes where mums can bring their babies with them.

Pilates trainer Jessica Darr took home the Group Reformer Studio award at the 2025 Australian pilates Industry Awards for her Toowoomba based studio Sculpt and Soul.

The Toowoomba studio took home the national award for Group Reformer Studio of the year in the 2025 Australian Pilates Industry Awards.

Up against a studio in Perth and another in Sydney, Ms Darr said she was in awe when her studio in “little old Toowoomba” won.

“I was very blown away, even being nominated top three in the country, that in itself was very humbling,” she said.

Sculpt and Soul was one of the first pilates studios in Queensland and Australia to get the full tower Align Pilates Reformer, and the studio now has eight of the machines.

“The pilates industry is changing and I think people are looking for more of a challenge after doing reformer for so long,” she said.

Find more information at https://sculptandsoul.com.au/.