Words by Claz, pronouns: She/her | Images by Mia Maraschino

Since adolescence, I had always aspired to be the fittest and healthiest version of myself, no matter how limited my resources may have been.

Apart from home yoga and Pilates workouts, it wasn’t until my mid-twenties when I immersed myself into the fitness scene. Being the eccentric person that I am, I wanted to try something that was rather unconventional yet fun, and could still give me similar results that I could achieve at your regular gym.

One day, while scrolling on Instagram, I saw that a friend from my university had made several posts of herself at her local pole studio. She looked so effortless and strong as she climbed, spun, and worked her aerial gymnastics in every single video. Inspired by this, I popped my pole cherry in December 2016. I was sore, bruised, and (knee!) hooked after my taster class. So, in March 2017, after returning from my solo overseas trip, I dedicated myself to a full beginners term, and did my first performance at the end of it.

Since then, I was determined to become an elite. After all, who doesn’t look up to them? To become even close to being as amazing as the girls in the top class was an endless dream!

The next term rolled around, and all went well. That is, until I tried to do an invert. I felt a shock on my left ribs and stopped inverting for the rest of the class. Thinking I was just sore, I thought it would go away in the next few days. Those days turned into weeks - so I tried some different classes in the studio until I was well enough to return to technique classes. Sadly, no matter how many times I convinced myself that I would be more prepared for next time, I triggered the same injury again and again.

On the third injury, I felt even more disheartened than ever.

Would I have to leave my pole journey for good? Would I have to quit the very thing that I loved most? Would I ever be able to keep up with my peers who were slaying every move, and going up levels without a second thought? It goes without saying that comparison is the thief of joy.

However, in June 2018, I decided to try something a little bit different. Seeing as I was constantly injuring my intercostal muscle from inverting, I wanted a way to strengthen both shoulders evenly. I had tried two sling classes in the past, and I already knew that it was more challenging than pole dancing. But I also knew that it was a great way to condition your shoulders, as well as help with inverting.

I took five weeks off from pole after my third injury, and enrolled in a five-week Beginners Sling term. I already expected that it was going to be more challenging than pole. However, I was surprised at how well I went, even after my extended break.

I was sorer than I usually would be after a pole class. However, as it turned out, I thought I enjoyed more than pole! Eventually, I would add lyra to my aerial repertoire in 2019. I am a proud aerialist to this day, and I haven’t looked back since! 

I am so thankful that more often than not, pole studios can definitely offer more than just pole classes. The main thing I learnt was that my pole dancing journey did not have to end after all. In fact, I could enjoy something else while I recovered. Or, in this case, I enjoyed myself so much that I would dedicate myself to aerial fitness for the long haul!

Another lesson I learnt during my journey was that I did not have to limit myself to one box, or be a one trick pony.

It's so much fun learning some awesome new tricks that are totally different to what you'd learn in pole class! Not only do sling and lyra provide more of a workout, they’re also much better for my shoulders. While I always felt awkward on my left side for pole, I feel much more even on both sides for aerials.

I'll add that my mental health has played a huge role in my pole and aerials journey. All that dwelling on how unfair life was to me put me in the wrong mindset. Little did I realise at the time that it would only make my journey more stagnant.

With every recovery, what I needed to do was to focus on healing, rather than on how everything was going against me. For the third injury, it helped significantly when I decided to look forward to starting something new.

I haven’t been motivated enough to return to pole since starting aerials. Despite this, I don’t see it as “giving up”. Rather, I am in a much better place. Initially, my goal was to reach the top level in pole, and to perform for an audience one day. Now, I aim for the exact same goal, but with aerials instead. Of course, I never signed up for pole thinking that I would end up switching apparatuses later down the track.

Nevertheless, my pains and struggles ended up not being a loss, but a win. I consider myself a better aerialist, and a much more resilient person. After all, the only way from here is up... on the sling and lyra, of course!