Paige Comerford of Ocean Township graduated with honors from Clemson University and is currently applying to medical school, but she’s making the most of her gap year by starting a business dedicated to advancing health, wellness and medical research.
Pilates Social Clemson, Clemson’s first and only reformer Pilates studio, is set to open this August in the city’s downtown.
“The Pilates Social Clemson logo was thoughtfully designed to incorporate a butterfly as part of the brand. The butterfly was designed in honor of my childhood friend, Mya Lynn Terry, who earned her wings after a courageous battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and secondary acute myeloid leukemia while in the fifth grade at Ocean Township Middle School,” Comerford said.
“Maia inspires me and everyone at Pilates Social Clemson to always make purpose a part of our passion,” said Commerford. “In her honor, we will donate a portion of our profits to charities that support our mission to make a difference in health, wellness and much-needed medical research.”
Comerford, a graduate of Red Bank Catholic High School, was inspired to bring Reformer Pilates to the Clemson University campus community after learning that it helped her recover from her own illness.
“I’d always been an avid runner, logging many miles a day, but after being unexpectedly diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder during my sophomore year of college, I was no longer able to tolerate high-intensity training,” she says. “The low-impact, high-intensity workouts of Reformer Pilates helped me recover my muscles and improve my health.”
“When I couldn’t find a Reformer Pilates studio close to campus, I was eager to open my own studio downtown. I am so excited to open Pilates Social Clemson in the Clemson community that I love. I hope this program will also help others on their health and wellness journey,” she said.
Pilates Social Clemson evolves the classic exercise method created by Joseph Pilates in the 1930s, with its emphasis on muscle control and precision movement, into a contemporary, modern workout style using state-of-the-art Reformer Pilates equipment. Pilates Social Clemson classes address every aspect of participants – mind, body and soul. Bringing a “social” element into the studio refreshes the mind and uplifts the spirit.
