Who is Heather Dorak? Meet Meghan Markle’s Pilates instructor and friend

Now that Meghan Markle is (mostly) settled in Canada, she’s calling on her friends to join her. And first on the Duchess’ list appears to be her Pilates instructor pal Heather Dorak.

The 38-year-old was spotted driving to the Victoria International Airport on Vancouver Island to pick up Dorak, as details regarding her and Harry's break from the Royal Family are finalized back in the UK.

Dorak, who is the founder of Los Angeles-based fitness center Pilates Platinum, has been a longtime friend of Meghan’s, often referring to her as her “best friend” on social media.

The two go back to Meghan’s early acting days in LA, and have celebrated marriage and babies during their nearly 15-year friendship.

Here’s everything we know about the Pilates instructor and mom of two.

Who is Heather Dorak?

Heather Dorak grew up in San Antonio, Texas, with aspirations of a professional career in dance. In an interview with Voyage LA, Dorak shared that an injury inspired her to pivot towards Pilates.

“My doctor recommended that I try out Pilates, I fell in love immediately with the Megaformer method that people know today,” she said, noting that she opened her first Pilates Platinum studio in Hollywood in 2006.

Since then, Dorak, who now shares the business with her sister Sarah Dorak, has expanded to six locations in total, in both Los Angeles and Texas.

Dorak married Matt Cohen, the founder and CEO of the money-saving app Grand, in 2017.

How long has Heather Dorak known Meghan Markle?

Dorak and Meghan have been friends for nearly 15 years, according to Instagram. Meghan was a frequent fixture on the Pilates guru’s feed prior to the Duchess deleting her Instagram account, and the two became friends before either of their careers took off.

In an Instagram post from December 2015, Dorak noted that she and Meghan were celebrating 10 years of friendship, sharing in the caption that Meghan was “One of my first clients.”

Over the course of their friendship, the two have vacationed together, and they even attended a Vancouver Canucks hockey game in 2015.

They’ve been hugely supportive of each other’s careers, too. Meghan, of course, has been one of Dorak’s longest and most loyal clients.

And Dorak has cheered Meghan on from the green room during television interviews for Suits, and she attended her 2015 speech at the UN Women’s 20th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference of Women in Beijing event in New York City with the Duchess’ mom Doria Ragland.

Dorak also contributed fitness expertise to Meghan’s lifestyle blog The Tig, as can be seen in a 2014 Instagram post where Dorak noted that her “Paper plate workout” was being featured on the site.

Dorak and her husband attended Meghan and Harry’s royal wedding ceremony in May 2018 at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Among the celebrity-studded guest list, Dorak and her husband could be spotted walking alongside The Late Late Show host James Corden and his wife.

More recently, Meghan was seen picking Dorak up at an airport in Vancouver, as the fitness instructor joined the Duchess in Canada following her and Harry’s announcement that they would be stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family.

How many children does Heather Dorak have?

Dorak shares two sons with her husband. The couple’s first child was born in 2017, and their youngest son was born in February 2019, with Dorak being pregnant at the same time as Meghan was expecting baby Archie.

Whether going to the zoo or celebrating Halloween in matching costumes, Dorak frequently posts about her sons on her Instagram.

Does Heather Dorak train any other celebrities?

It turns out Meghan isn’t Dorak’s only famous client. She’s also shared magazine articles highlighting actress Eva Longoria and, most notably, former Victoria’s Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio, who has been attending classes at Pilates Platinum since at least 2013 (and was recently spotted at one of their studios in 2019).

Additionally, Dorak has partnered up with Popsugar Fitness, creating several different workout videos for the publication over the years.