Sammy Prowse
Founder
Sammy Prowse is the Founder and Director of Universal Practice and UP Edu, and a physiotherapist with deep experience in elite sport and movement-based rehabilitation. She first trained in Pilates in 2009 and has continued her professional development in Australia and overseas, building a reputation for combining clinical rigor with practical, high-performance application.
Alongside her clinical work, Sammy has led Universal Practice’s growth across multiple locations and launched UP Edu in 2018 as the organisation’s accredited education pillar. She currently works with the Hawthorn Football Club, delivering Pilates-based programming to athletes, and has contributed to performance and rehab programs across organisations including Gymnastics Australia and multiple AFL clubs. Across UP Edu, Sammy’s focus is evidence-based education that strengthens diagnosis, clinical reasoning and exercise prescription, helping health professionals apply mat and reformer Pilates with clarity, intent and real-world relevance.
Abby de Kretser
Head of Clinical Excellence
Abby de Kretser is UP Edu’s Head of Clinical Excellence and a senior physiotherapist at Universal Practice. She is the lead instructor for our in-person intensives, supported by a teaching team she has trained, and is known for bringing clarity, precision and strong clinical reasoning to the way Pilates is taught and applied in movement-based healthcare.
With over a decade in private practice, Abby combines evidence-based physiotherapy with extensive Pilates training completed through local and international providers, including the Kane School in New York. She holds a Master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science, and has developed the coursework for UP Edu’s Clinical Mat & Reformer Pilates Course. Abby teaches throughout the program, including across the full video and lecture content in the UP Edu Portal, ensuring the learning is rigorous, practical, and immediately usable in real-world practice.
Karen Finnin
General Manager
Karen Finnin is the General Manager of UP Edu and a physiotherapist by background, with an MBA in Innovation and Leadership and over 20 years’ experience in clinical governance, operations, education, and digital health. She leads UP Edu’s growth and delivery with a focus on effective systems, strong learner experience, and sustainable expansion, while keeping the education grounded in real clinical application.
Karen has worked across high-performance and complex environments including Cirque du Soleil, defence, elite sport, and digital health, advising on healthcare service design, multidisciplinary team structures, and digital strategy. Her experience includes building clinical governance frameworks, strengthening recruitment and retention, and developing education and capability programs, including the design and implementation of organisation-wide learning systems. At UP Edu, she brings a rare blend of clinical credibility and commercial leadership to support national growth without compromising quality.