CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE A BABY GIRL!!
Let me take you back to 2005…..
As the nurse handed me my baby for the first time she said ‘Congratulations, you have a beautiful baby girl!’
I looked at her through watery eyes for the first time and a bolt of emotion surged through me…. She was beautiful, angelic but I knew deep down that this one was going to try to change the world in one way or another!
My Husband and I named her Amelia (Mimi) after my grandmother on my Dad’s side who I had never had a chance to meet as she died long before I was born.
So Amelia had a good strong name, supportive parents, grandparents and a big brother….. the world was her oyster.
I had no idea when the nurse handed me my daughter for the first time she would grow up to want to be a World Champion Pole Dancer/Gymnast/Sports Person, whatever you want to call it, but she did and still does.
She was around 6 when she started training and it is a very long story, she will be 11 this year.
I want to share my feelings about this, other peoples views and how we have supported our daughter to live her dreams – Whatever they may be!
UK POLE PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!
It was a normal day and if I was honest I was absolutely shattered so while Mimi was training on her pole in her room I was resting on my bed for 5 minutes!
I kept hearing her puffing in her room and the floor squeaking as she was trying to get her inverting perfect….. As I heard my phone ‘Bing’ with a message from Facebook messenger.
Curiosity got the better of my tired eyes and I picked up my phone and read my message….. It was Varie from the UK Pole Professional Championships replying to my message that I sent a little while back asking if Mimi would like to OPEN THE SHOW at the show this year??
I immediately jumped off of my bed and let out a very loud ‘OH MY GOD!!’ Mimi came running thinking that something was the matter!
Mimi looked at me with concern, ‘Mummy, are you ok?’ She said….. I just looked at her, I knew that the next words I said to her were going to make her day, her year!!!
Since Mimi started pole she had been going to the UKPPC to watch her pole greats compete for the winning title and at first she was really the only child to go and watch the show. This was 4 years ago and I remember her whispering to me….. ‘One day Mum, I will perform here!’ I thought to myself that it was going to be quite a few years before she would be accepted into the pole world as one of them.
So there she was standing in front of me waiting for my answer to why I made such a noise that had worried her and I knew that she would never be the same after I told her and my ears would never recover from the screaming either!!!
I said to her that she was not only allowed to perform at UKPPC but how would she feel about opening the show!!!
The screaming and jumping went on for a number of minutes and I am not going to lie, it was both of us doing this!!!
I will never forget that face when I told her and the happiness that I felt knowing that my baby was getting to live a dream of hers, it was one of the best feelings in the world!!!
My thoughts quickly changed to…. Shit! This is happening, what music, costume etc are we going to use?!?
So, the training and discussions started…..
1st Competition April 2016 – British Pole Superstar Competition
The days were drawing in and Mimi’s first competition was getting closer….. her routine was completed but she just needed to perfect it.
Mimi has been working so hard to get competition ready, condition and stretching every day as she really wanted to do her instructor (Dan Rosen) proud.
I couldn’t eat or sleep for weeks running up to the comp as I wanted to take the pressure off of Mimi so that she could just relax into it, I wanted it to be a good experience for her.
After a very long drive up to Blackburn we checked into the hotel first and Mimi was telling the receptionist why we were staying her, she was as proud as punch about what she was about to do.
As we walked up to the venue I told Mimi that we were here to have fun, meet new friends and she was here to perform, forget about it being a competition.
Mimi was her usual self, cheery, friendly and loud. I think some kids go inwards but Mimi comes out of herself.
She already knew quite a few of the other girls in her category but it was really good to spend time with others like herself as there is really no one else Mimi’s age down south that do pole.
The running order said that Mimi was second to last to perform and she was ok with that, more time to stretch before. J
Mimi’s Routine was to ‘Dear Future Husband’ and when we started the routine she loved the song but by the time she came to perform it she had heard it so many times that she was a bit fed up of it, just one of the problems when picking a song to use in a routine.
The act before Mimi was about to go on so we made our way to the stage….. we did our usual thing of me fussing and her telling me off for fussing and then Mimi was asked if she was ready to go on? But it wasn’t her time yet??
They had had a problem with the music from the act before and decided to put Mimi on first….. She looked at me, I looked at her and she was then introduced and ready to get into position…..
The crowd were roaring welcoming her to the sage and then my melt down started!!
I can’t describe how it feels really to see your child walk out on stage to perform on the pole, pride, fear? Knowing that just one slip and she could fall and potentially die or hurt herself really badly.
I always tell myself that she has been training for this and she knows what she is doing but it doesn’t make it any easier and I don’t think I will ever feel comfortable watching her.
Mimi’s routine went so well, she honestly just lights up the stage and I am bias but she is such a natural performer…. I think if I stopped her doing pole then her life wouldn’t be complete.
After she performed everyone told her how good her routine was and most importantly Mimi and her Instructor, Dan were over the moon with her routine.
We continued to watch the rest of the competition and everyone was so amazing, such inspiration for little Mimi.
Then came the results….. Mimi got 2nd place and Aimee Hilton won first, absolutely over the moon as Aimee is much older than Mimi and is amazing at pole….. I had a very happy girl!
Then they announced the ‘best over all entertainer’ award which also went to Mimi….. I didn’t see that one coming. So Happy! All of the hard work had paid off and it has inspired Mimi to keep training hard.