[anneliesa]

I don't have a big problem when it comes to telling people about pole, but there's always the little worry every time I tell someone new that they'll get the wrong idea. I'm not religious and I'm at uni so doing pole isn't overly shocking, especially as there is a pole fitness society at uni. When I tell people I always stress the fitness element of it.

My family know that I pole, but I think they believe it's just some silly hobby of mine. My dad lives abroad, and my mum has been very ill for a long time, so they've not seen me pole in person. Pole means so much to me, I'm proud of what I've achieved. I really want to show my family so they can be proud too, but I feel awkward about it. I did show my dad and his wife a picture of me in recliner when I first started, and my dad didn't seem to want to look. It hurts to think that he might be ashamed of the fact I do pole because he doesn't understand.

My boyfriend hasn't told his family either because they're quite conservative and would take it the wrong way. That makes me sad too, because if I were a gymnast or another kind of dancer, he'd tell them and they'd be interested in seeing and hearing about what I can do. Maybe it doesn't matter, but I want to include people I care about in this big part of who I am.