Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Plus Size Woman Becomes Pole Dancing Champ After Local Gym Makes Her Feel Unwelcome

www.comicsands.com

For years, Emma felt uncomfortable about her size and refused to weigh herself.

A size 18 champion pole dancer, who won countless national and international competitions, told how she only took up the sport after being made to feel unwelcome at her local gym.


Emma Collins began pole dancing in 2013 after claiming she was treated "like an outcast" by fellow gym members because she was fat.

The 33 year old from the UK—who says she is now happy with her shape—decided to explore other forms of exercise and found pole dancing after a friend suggested she give it a try.

Collect/PA Real Life

Emma—who works as a carer at a care home—was immediately hooked. Though her size initially made some of the acrobatic moves more difficult for her, Emma now trains up to 10 hours a week. She has competed at the highest level, claiming a string of titles to her name.

She said:

"People used to say that I didn't belong in a gym, that I was too big to be there. They made me feel out of place, but now I'm the one who is winning championships and traveling 'round the country doing the sport I love."
"I'm quite unusual on the pole dancing circuit because dancers tend to be small sizes and people are often surprised. But when they see me on that pole they are always amazed and are so encouraging."

Emma, who now regularly posts online videos and pictures of herself in skimpy outfits performing her energetic routines around the pole, added:

"It's given me the confidence to be happy about my size and realize that not everyone is built the same."
"In fact, I think I'm much healthier than some of the skinnier girls. I don't have to starve myself and I'm happy."

However, Emma admits she spent years feeling uncomfortable about her size and refused to weigh herself on the scales for fear of the number that would stare back at her.

Collect/PA Real Life

Emma, who has been overweight since childhood, also admits that she would feel "out of place" on nights out with her slimmer friends.

Attempting to fit in more, Emma tried all sorts of diets, from SlimFast to Weight Watchers, but found she couldn't stick to any and quickly became bored with them.

"I just couldn't keep up with them. It's too boring going on a diet. I love chocolate and I love chilli—those aren't things you can eat on a diet, so why bother?"

Collect/PA Real Life

Joining a gym also ended in failure . After just a few visits to her local gym, Emma claims she sensed such a barrage of negative feeling towards her because of her size that she no longer felt welcome.

"I would get funny looks from other gymmers when I was on the treadmill or one of the machines. Sometimes people would say something under their breath and it was all just quite unpleasant and made me feel like I shouldn't be there."

But when a friend suggested she join her at a taster class for pole dancing at Pole XS, she decided to give exercising another shot.

Collect/PA Real Life

Immediately, she knew she had found her calling, saying:

"I loved it from the off. It was really challenging to do some of the moves and spins, and I didn't realize how much strength was required but it felt like something I could work towards.
"I was the biggest girl there easily but everyone was really nice and encouraging."
"Five years on after my first lesson, I'm still going strong. The same can't be said for the friend who invited me though—she quit pretty quickly!"

Collect/PA Real Life

Given her weight, mastering some of the moves, especially hanging from the pole upside down, was tricky for Emma. She says she had to overcome the obvious difficulty of lifting her own weight as well as her reduced flexibility.

But she was determined to rise to the challenge and after being told by her teacher she had serious potential, Emma had three different poles installed in her bungalow where she lives alone so that she could practice as much as she liked.

It paid off and within a year Emma was already competing in major tournaments around the country, winning her first gold medal in 2014 at the European Championships.

Collect/PA Real Life

Her early success was followed up by a string of further victories at national competitions. Emma made quite a name for herself on the circuit, with other dancers impressed at her litheness in spite of her large figure.

A prolific social media user, Emma said:

"Now they all follow me on Instagram! They're just amazed at how I manage it!"

Pole dancing has become an increasingly popular sport and form of exercise over the last decade. It is no longer simply associated with strip bars and gentlemen's clubs.

Collect/PA Real Life

Emma, however, has no interest in the erotic side of the sport. She says that men are sometimes scared off when she tells them that she is a champion pole dancer.

She explained:

"I think they think it's a bit weird. I think maybe they think it's not the sort of think a woman like me should be doing."
"I don't think I could ever really make it a sexy thing, because for a start the high-heeled shoes make me look like a penguin!"

Collect/PA Real Life

Despite that though, Emma still thoroughly enjoys the aesthetic side of her hobby. She owns over 20 different outfits, all of varying colors and materials ranging from velvet to sequins.

Her exploits became so well-known that Emma is now also sponsored by an outfitting brand that provide her with as many costumes as she wants..

Keen to keep on dancing as long as she can, Emma set her sights on becoming a professional dance teacher and is about to embark on her teacher training qualification.

Collect/PA Real Life

Emma stated:

"I'm so glad to have found something I enjoy so much. That isn't so common, so I want to keep doing it for as long as I can and as much as I can.
"Size shouldn't hold you back. If you like doing something—do it."

A version of this article originally appeared on Press Association.

More from Trending

Chasten Buttigieg; Kim Davis
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for GLSEN; Ty Wright/Getty Images

Chasten Buttigieg Rips Kim Davis' Hypocrisy After She Asks Supreme Court To Overturn Gay Marriage

Following the news that former Kentucky municipal clerk Kim Davis has petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse Obergefell v. Hodges—the landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationally—educator and activist Chasten Buttigieg, who is married to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, called out her hypocrisy given her own marriage history.

Davis, who spent six days in jail in 2015 for refusing to issue marriage licenses to a gay couple on religious grounds, is appealing a jury’s award of $100,000 in emotional damages and $260,000 in attorneys’ fees.

Keep ReadingShow less
The outside of a best buy store
The image shows the exterior of a best buy store.

Major Companies People Think Won't Exist In 20 Years

No business is immortal.

But some business are especially vulnerable, owing to the passing of time, or the advancements of technology.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Donald Trump
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Newsom Channels Trump In All-Caps Vow To Redistrict California After Trump 'Missed' Deadline

The latest in the ongoing feud between MAGA Republican President Donald Trump and California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom involves a bit of imitation—but it definitely wasn't the sincerest form of flattery.

Newsom has been actively locking horns with Trump and his fellow governor, MAGA Republican Greg Abbott of Texas.

Keep ReadingShow less

Teen influencer stranded in Antarctica

A globe-trotting teen pilot and social media star has agreed to make a hefty donation to avoid standing trial after an unscheduled Antarctic detour landed him in hot water with Chilean authorities.

Ethan Guo, a 19-year-old Chinese American with a Guinness World Record in his sights, found himself grounded—literally—when he landed his Cessna 182Q on Chile’s King George Island earlier this summer without permission.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Aubrey Anderson-Emmons
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

'Modern Family' Star Opens Up About Her Decision To Change Her Name For Career Pivot

Aubrey Anderson-Emmons is creating buzz again, this time with the announcement of her new name: Frances Anderson.

The former Modern Family actress, who effectively ended her acting career at the age of 12 when the show ended, went viral during Pride Month when she shared with the world that she was bisexual, with a little help from her "I'm gay!" clip from the show.

Keep ReadingShow less