I bought a fitness pole in 2008 after my Aquatic Supervior (mother of two and kick ass quilter) and I attended a pole fitness clas together in Vancouver. It arrived two days before my birthday and just in time for my party. 

I remember the very first video I posted. If I can scrounge it up I’ll be sure to post it for you. 

  
I was wearing all green and dancing to Maroon 5. This was Day 1 of my progress. I began to watch videos on YouTube and teach myself spins, inversions, stalls, all of it. And everytime I spent more than 15 minutes practicing I made a progress video and named it by Day. 

My family and friends all followed my progress and many actually became skilled pole users themselves. My dad included! 

 
 People who know me, know that I do it for fun and fitness and I enjoy the challenge of learning new skills. I remember the first time I worked out on it, I was sore for 3 days and couldn’t lift my arms above my shoulders. 

I used to log all my pole practice time and load my videos on YouTube but a few years ago I went through a time where I let someone make me feel self conscious about my pole fitness skills . I ended up deleting all my videos and lost my community that taught me so much. I’m back now. 

This experience has taught me a valuable lesson. If you love something, do it. If it enables you to be a better, healthier and happier person, do it. Don’t let other people make you feel less of a human because of what they think is “inappropriate.” 

   
I don’t strip, I don’t dance for money. And honestly if I did, that would be my choice and prerogative. Pole dancing, pole fitness, whatever you want to call it, is hard. It’s physically demanding and it’s therapeutic. 

And I will never let anyone make me feel bad again about something that I’m good at. Something that my friends and family admire about me. And something that keeps me fit mentally and physically. 

This is Day 1 in the year of 2016.