"I could feel myself getting stronger and more confident" by Sylvie
When I first came to Melbourne I felt quite isolated from the local community so I decided to find a hobby I could do in my free time. Pole Divas came up in my Google search and I called in the same day to organise a class. I have done a little bit of pole before but I had no idea that joining Pole Divas Prahran will turn my life upside down (pun intended).
I was not very comfortable in my own body (not at all) and the idea of wearing shorts and a crop top was incredibly intimidating. At the beginning of my pole journey, I just wanted to become strong, thin and progress fast. I very quickly realised that was not going to happen easily. But then, with each new pole kiss (i.e. bruises) and a sore muscle I could feel myself getting stronger and more confident. Gradually, my priorities have shifted. Coming to the studio became more about the community, the wonderful, strong and supportive women becoming my friends, and about the things my body can do rather than about the way it looks. I have learned to love my body the way it is and to be patient when learning new tricks – I am an incredibly slow learner.
I originally started with one static class a week. I loved to see myself improve and all the instructors and students made me feel incredibly welcome. Soon, doing just one pole class a week was not enough. I tried every casual offered by the studio and I also wanted to do spin but it seemed very intimidating and I was worried I was not strong enough. In the end I stated a spin course as well and oh boy, it was challenging! Like with everything, it takes time and practise to get better and overtime, I progressed bit by bit and I am now absolutely hooked.
Thanks to Pole Divas and the supportive community it provides, I found the courage to face my fears and got help with my mental health issues. Well actually, I was not even aware I had and issue - oh denial - but it turned out I was suffering from an eating disorder from more than eight years. Thanks to the amazing support and encouragement from my fellow divas, I got better and improved my life on both personal and professional level.
I have been with Pole Divas for 6.5 years and cannot imagine a better place to call my second home. I am extremely grateful to be a part of this wonderful community that helped me on my journey to become strong, fierce and the best version of myself.