Love Athletica

Love Athletica is a community of Pilates studios founded by high school sweethearts and 20-year-plus married couple and business partners Mat and Caroline Knipe.

Surprisingly, Joseph Pilates was a sickly child, having to contend with the unfortunate trifecta of asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. Despite these early setbacks, however, Pilates managed to develop an extraordinary amount of grit and determination and become a competent gymnast, diver, skier, circus performer, boxer and self-defence instructor. He also founded an exercise methodology that, during his lifetime, was called Contrology and was based on three founding principles: breath, whole-body health and whole-body commitment, with the “whole body” aspect encompassing mind, body and spirit. After Pilates’ death in 1967 at the age of 83, Contrology became more eponymously known as the Pilates Method and its principles further elucidated to include breath, concentration, centring, control, precision and flow. Of its many benefits, Pilates possesses a dynamism that enables it to be easily adapted to the individual needs of clients. In other words, it is a genuinely bespoke workout. So, if you are not already a convert and wish to dive headfirst into this effective and challenging discipline, where do you begin? Choosing a Pilates studio in Melbourne can be as challenging as choosing a coffee at Starbuck’s. As such, look no further than Love Athletica.

Love Athletica is a community of Pilates studios founded by high school sweethearts and 20-year-plus married couple and business partners Mat and Caroline Knipe. Mat is a business strategist and entrepreneur who has built multiple successful creative ventures oriented around the music, entertainment and now fitness-and-lifestyle industries. His music knowledge is extraordinarily deep, and he has harnessed a unique talent for predicting future trends. The other half of the team, Caroline, is a renowned interior designer who is responsible for the design and fit-out of all the Love Athletica studios. Prior, she was the co-founder of Most Wanted Interiors and, for 15 years, delivered stunning and innovative residential interior design concepts to her clients. An additional prominent member of the Love Athletica team is Head Trainer Abby Smith, who was recruited in 2018 and who brings over 20 years’ experience in the performing arts to the fitness industry. Smith played an integral role in helping to develop the studio’s signature class plan and continues to refine and develop the training program. So, with the A Team successfully assembled, how exactly did Love Athletica come to be? Well, after years of attending a variety of boutique fitness classes, Mat recognised a gap, an opportunity to create a strong brand, class style and a locally focussed customer experience. Team Knipe wasted no time in introducing the public to its evolved version of Pilates and opened the doors to its first outlet in Hawthorn East in 2018.

Since then, Love Athletica has only gained momentum, and it is within this momentum that one can recognise the glimmers of the Knipes’ creative genius. Mat oversees the brand’s creative direction, steering business strategy and curating playlists matched to the tempo of each part of each tailored class. Caroline designs the California-inspired studios to lift your mood and improve your performance and overall wellbeing. Finally, the ongoing recruitment of new trainers ensures continuing talent, creativity and charisma underlie an intensive onboarding training program in the lead-up to taking a class. Each class, though unique, is imbued with the general elements of cheek, colour and fun and strives simultaneously for perfection and lightheartedness. This has all been made possible, quite simply, by the fearless founders having surrounded themselves with the best in the business. And if you think the Knipes are satisfied with the status quo, think again, as their mutual ambition to continue to grow the brand is being nurtured daily. Stay tuned for the next instalment!

In the meantime, visit Love Athletica at 136 Camberwell Road, Hawthorn East, and immerse yourself in the exciting and evolving world of Pilates.