Callan Pinckney

You don’t have to dig deep, or long, in to the history of Callanetics before you realise the women behind the Callanetics program was a strong minded, self willed, rebellious women determined to inhale as much of life as possible and change the way people exercised. The date is around early 1960′s the woman was Barbara Biffinger Pfeiffer Pinckney, born in Savannah, Georgia 1939 who, at the advice of a Numerologist changed her name to Callan Pinckney.

Why? Well, just imagine being told you would never amount to anything, nor make any money and, on top of all that, you would lead a very boring life. The only advice given, the escape route from this purgatory, is to change your name! Callan didn’t have to think too hard or long before she did just that and packed her backpack, jumped a freighter and disappeared out of the lives of her family for the next decade.

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On paper, Callan’s life looks like the figment of a fertile imagination, a scenario for a movie scriptCallanetics – 10 Years Younger In 10 Hours by Callan Pinckney

On first listening to Callan regale her tales of adventure it’s hard to not wonder if the woman on the other end of the phone isn’t quite mad and delusional and when asked why she never wrote a book about her adventures she said that no-one, other than people who really knew her and her capabilities, would ever believe that they were true.

The people I’ve spoken to, who have met her and spent time with her, have all confirmed that Callan was an incredibly, unique individual and did have the most amazing life.  It seems that she must have possessed an inherent trust and confidence that she had guardian angels around her as she trudged her way around the globe, supporting a very big and heavy backpack that almost destroyed her tiny frame.

She related to me a story that first appeared in Playgirl 1987. She was backpacking through a small village in Jordan when “I was beset by a group of Arab men…” the article didn’t print any of the gory details of the event but she shared with me that she fought like crazy, had a gun pointed at her stomach and a large knife at her neck. ”PLEASE, can you imagine me, at 5’1″, fighting THEM?” She asked me filled with pride and maybe a little astonishment as she recalls the incident. Apparently they threatened to kill her and bury her in the desert where they pronounced “no Government will find you“. I am incredulous and wish once again, for the 1000th time, that I could sit with this fascinating woman over a cup of tea or bottle of wine and devour all her stories.

Continuing with her tale…during the attack a black car pulled up and a man leapt out to rescue her. Fighting off her attackers he scooped up her tiny frame and threw her in his car. They drove out to the Dead Sea where her Knight, whose name was Salhi, cleansed her wounds and calmed her soul. He couldn’t speak English so Callan told me they communicated through sign language.

During the night a group of wealthy Sheiks paid a visit. Guns were out as they argued until they recognised each other as childhood friends. “Extremely lucky for me” said Callan “as they had planned to have their way with me and then bury me in the desert”.

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Callan shared with me that the reality of the situation didn’t really sink in until much later. A romantic lean on this terrifying story was that there was something about Callan that reminded her saviour of his previous love. Salhi became her guardian until she left Israel, he barely left her side. She said this was the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for her.

So, what has this got to do with Callanetics? Not much really! Nothing more than an insight in to the wonderfully brave spirit that was Callan Pinckney. It made me admire her even more and makes Callanetics even more magical…well for me anyway and I would guess for many of Callan’s fans.
Callan continued to have many adventures but her body was suffering under the burden of her heavy backpack and by the time she reached London she was emaciated, tired and her travel damaged knees and back were causing her constant pain.

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ON THE ROAD

It was in London that she met the fiery Lotte Berk who was teaching an exercise method that had been derived from a dance routine. What I find fascinating about this connection between Callan Pinckney and Lotte Berk is that they were both extremely unusual and, from what I’ve read, eccentric women. There is even a similarity in appearance.
Lotte Berk was born in Germany 1913, she became a dancer and went on to develop a style of dance to improve ‘core stability’. Lotte married an Englishman and his British Passport was her avenue to leave the Nazi regime that ruled Germany in the 1930′s

Lotte Berk

London, in the 1930′s wasn’t prepared, nor able to accept, Lotte’s powerful, raw, barefoot dance movements so she worked closely with an Orthopedic Surgeon to remodel the method to an exercise program to make it more widely accepted.

During the 60′s and ’70′s Lotte taught her program in a shabby, London basement teaching London’s elite who were all eager to participate in her classes. It was during this period that Callan found herself in London and working at Lotte’s studio.  What is so sad for me is that I moved to London in 1976 and worked in the locale of Lotte’s studio.  I was in my early twenties and exercising, other than dancing most nights, just wasn’t something myself or friends ever contemplated.  Now I wonder what it would have been like to have visited Lotte’s studio at the time Callan worked there.  I’m pretty sure I would have been as besotted by Callan as I was ten years later.

HOMECOMING

In 1972 Callan returned to the U.S. Her poor, tiny frame was exhausted and she was permanently in pain. Never to be defeated, she set about restoring her body and finding a way to alleviate the pain that was constant in her back and knees. She adapted the exercises she had learnt in Lotte’s London studio making the movements completely non-jarring and more gentle. Adding on to that she applied movements she learnt whilst studying ballet, Moshe Feldenkrais and The Alexander Technique. The results were outstanding, she managed her pain and a most awesome benefit was her body became strong and tight. ”I felt absolutely magnificent, as if I could spring like a majestic gazelle” she wrote in her first book.

Callan's Award
CALLANETICS: 10 YEARS YOUNGER IN 10 HOURS

Callan admits she knew nothing about agents or publishing but was driven to write her first book in 1982 after seeing “…ridiculous, pathetic books by celebrities who had less experience than I”.  She said she was angry and like a maniac declared “that does it. How do you write a book?”.

The book was published in 1984 and the waiting began.  At that time Jane Fonda was at the top of her aerobic game and for the first time women, of all ages and sizes, took charge of their bodies and daily played their videos at home bouncing around their rooms joyfully hanging out with the beautiful celebrity.  If they weren’t working out with Jane, it was Rachael Welch and Victoria Principal.

Callan Pinckney, on the other hand, was an unknown. There was no shroud of glamour or intrigue around her so her book sat on the shelves and got dusty and in the end the booksellers just didn’t want to know.  Her publisher, William Morrow, passed on worst news to Callan that her book was dead and they were no longer interested in marketing it.  This news fired Callan up “when they told me the book was dead, forget it, I said, I can’t, I’d rather die first”.

Callan borrowed money, launching a solo sales campaign “I called every show I could think of and producers would say “well, who are you?” I had so many doors slammed in my face, but I knew I had something, though no one else did”.

Five months of this humiliating rejection she finally managed to get on a Chicago morning TV show and from that one appearance there was an immediate request to one local bookstore for 400 books.

After that life changing day Callan went on to appear on all the popular TV programs such as Oprah, Sally Jessy Raphael and Phil Donahue.  after each appearance Callan received letters from the producers telling her how their switchboards were bombarded with enquiries.  Callan Pinckney was fast becoming a celebrity and someone to be acknowledged.

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Sarah Ferguson

It wasn’t long before Callan had a call from Buckingham Palace.  Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew’s wife had recently given birth to Beatrice, was keen to get back in to shape and had been bitten by the Callanetics bug.  Callan was flown over to UK to spend time with Sarah to help her tone and shape up.

Callan loved her time with the spirited Sarah. During one of our phone conversations she told me that Sarah was sometimes difficult to get up and going in the morning for her workouts but when she did she worked hard, was enormous fun to work with and deserved the wonderful results she gained from her time with Callan.

 

You simply must try it. I promise you, you will feel ten years younger in ten hours. I’ve tried everything, believe me. All the fad diets, the pills, the lot. But all that is very bad for you. Now I Just eat healthily and practise Callanetlcs. I work out every day and then I just have fruit for breakfast. I first learned about Callanetics before Callan was famous. It’s wonderful. It works. It worked for me anyway. You absolutely must try it. The Callanetics book is my bible.”
Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York
Daily Express

 

Callan passed away in her hometown Savannah, Georgia, USA on 1st March 2012.  She is missed by many but her legacy lives on as generations pass down Callan’s powerful exercise program.