Tom McCook’s resume includes everything from personal training to meditation to the Franklin Method, all of which enhance his Pilates teaching and personal practice.
PILATES STYLE
I hear you grew up in a huge family.
TOM MCCOOK Yes, I’m the youngest of 12 kids—I had eight brothers and three sisters. I grew up in Marlborough, in central Massachusetts. There were a lot of big families, with 10, 11, 12 kids in our neighborhood; on my street alone, there were over 30 kids who hung out together. Our parents would say, “Go outside and come back at dinner.” So we had to figure it out for ourselves, whereas kids today are much more monitored and spend so much more time on their phones and tablets.
Our family was very physical. I played basketball, football and hockey from the age of five. When I was 11, I began working out in a gym in our cellar and started training some of the neighborhood kids. My brother Dan has owned a karate school for over 40 years, so I got exposed to that when I was very young, too. Over my life, I have always been very curious about movement and the body, and my curiosity has only increased as I’ve learned more.
PS What did you do after high school?
TOM I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I bought a one-way ticket to California. I moved to Mountain View, a town in Silicon Valley, where I knew exactly one person. I had $500, and I used $350 of that to buy a 10-speed bike that I used to get around. In the mornings, I took classes at Foothill community college, and then worked doing landscaping in the afternoons.
Denne historien er fra May - June 2018-utgaven av Pilates Style.
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Denne historien er fra May - June 2018-utgaven av Pilates Style.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Finding New Momentum
Overcoming obstacles caused by the pandemic, the virtual version of this popular festival still achieved its goals.
Carola Trier's Extraordinary Journey
In his authoritative biography of the first woman to open a studio, Reiner Grootenhuis delved into her personal papers to tell the harrowing story of her time in a prison camp during World War II.
Racism in the Pilates Industry
Incidents of police brutality and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests have shed a bright light on systemic racism in the U.S., including in the Pilates industry. Here, Black instructors share their experiences.
For Self-defense
Moves of the Month
Comfort Food Made Healthy
This fall, cozy up to tantalizing comfort food that’s also healthy. A new cookbook from Kristin Cavallari shows you how.
Pilates Postcard
A Pilates teacher shares how the method is making waves abroad.
The Ultimate Gift
One year ago, Kahley Schiller’s life was completely upended by an extreme health crisis. But thanks to her 20-year Pilates practice, the 40-year-old was able to recover quickly.
Revelations
For Sarita Allen, a star of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and a protégée of Kathleen Stanford Grant, Pilates was key to her decades-long career.
Meaning WITHIN THE Movement
The Five Elements of Chinese Medicine help you go deeper into your practice, promising plenty of play along the way.
PILATES IN THE HOOD
Though she’s trained many top stars, Kim Carruthers says she’s most proud of her work as the founder and director of a nonprofit bringing the method to underserved communities.
