Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabrina Souilah

Hi Sabrina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

In 2006 while establishing myself amongst my peers in the highly competitive New York City dance scene, I suffered a complete tear of my right Achilles tendon during an audition – for the fun fact I did get the job; after this devastating injury diagnosis I also received a very pessimistic recovery prognosis, I will quote from one of New York most renowned orthopedic surgeons: “It will take you a minimum of a year to be able to walk properly, you should reconsider your career”.
Going home to Switzerland to consult with my brother’s orthopedic team (he used to play soccer at a high level) was a much better alternative; on a side note I want to thank Ms Pamela at the Swiss Consulate of New York who facilitated finding a direct flight – with special accommodations – to Geneva within a day; the clock was ticking for me since I only had a week or so to have surgery from the date of the injury before experiencing tissue degeneration which would make the tendon completely lose its elasticity and it would not be possible to be reattached, it had already been 5 days.
Fast forward, first successful foot surgery in the first days of March ‘06, and I said “first” because two months later while taking a quick break from doing my home-therapy exercises my foot went through my kitchen glass door which resulted in having a sectioned artery, 1.5 inch gap filled shattered glass…
After a very successful second reconstructive surgery, I jumped back into physical therapy, x5/week including two hydro treatments and manual work such as scraping and electrostimulation. In August I was on a flight back to NYC, booked a photoshoot for a dance catalog within two weeks of my arrival, but continuing physical therapy was not the easiest, since I didn’t have the surgeries in the U.S. it was a bit tricky to be eligible for post trauma recovery treatments, and that’s when I discovered Pilates, I gifted myself a private session and fell in love with the complexity of this method, it was all based on alignment and core control, I was convinced right away this would be the very best physical therapy-like I would need to prepare myself to get back on stage; the only downside was that I couldn’t afford to take sessions several times a week. One of the teachers I had trained with suggested I looked into the work-study program offered by the studio..
By October I was certified in all levels mat training, the following year I invested into six months of courses and studies and became certified in all levels of all apparatus (Pilates equipment).

One of the best career decisions I have made, and sharing my experience, expertise and skills to this day has been incredibly rewarding.

Specializing in injury prevention and recovery has given me the opportunity to help dancers, professional athletes, fitness enthusiasts and sedentary individuals who want to better their health and wellness, live with fewer to no aches and pains for longer stretches of time.

My win had become someone else’s win, and somebody else after that, so on and so forth.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

I would say finding balance between both careers, restarting one with a mind full of doubts and building another on fluctuating resources.
My drive will always be that I love what I do and I aim to make people feel greater than before we met; my art brings a sense of joy and my practice a sense of relief.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

Managing to be granted three scholarships before moving to a country I had never set foot in before, barely speaking the language and that alone at 20yrs old… Im very proud of my ambition and resilience.
I’ve done well for myself and there’s still room for more accomplishments.
In addition, battling two auto-immune conditions, one for nearly 17yrs and the other for almost 5yrs, I am not easily discouraged if not at all.
I want to inspire, give hope and strength to anyone who finds my story relatable, helping others comes in many forms. feeling heard, seen, acknowledged and supported goes a long way, I want to be that voice. Through struggles you still can succeed at what is meant for you.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?

I’m still learning to give myself grace and time to surmount and recovery from what life throws my way.
Failure builds character and experience, you get back up when you’re ready to give it all and fight again.

Contact Info:

• Website: Under Construction
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/59sabrina/
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

JoeDeangelis

JonahJPEG

AnthonyCollins

Sabrina Souilah