For three months, Eliza barely left her house.
She did not go out to see friends. She did not exercise. She did not even walk to the mailbox. Her mental health had reached a point where being seen by other people felt overwhelming.
“I fully didn’t leave the house for three months. Not even to go to my mailbox, because I was just like, ‘Don’t put me out in public.’ I don’t want to be seen or perceived.”
Eliza had always been a homebody. Her life mostly revolved around work, and although she had tried different activities over the years, nothing had ever felt like it belonged to her.
“I’ve always been about trying, but I’ve never found anything that I really connected with and felt like, ‘Yeah, okay, this is my thing.’”
Eventually, staying home stopped feeling like the safer option. She missed being around people. She wanted to challenge herself. Most of all, she wanted to try something completely different.
That decision led her to her first pole class at The Pole Room Mitcham.
Walking Into Her First Class
Eliza did not arrive feeling strong, coordinated or confident. She arrived nervous.
She worried about being the biggest person in the room. She did not know what the other students would think of her, what she was supposed to wear or whether she would be able to do anything in the class.
After searching online for what she might need, she even bought herself a pair of red boots.
But when she arrived, she quickly realised there was no special outfit, fitness level or experience required.
“Because you’re a beginner, you don’t have to have anything. You just rock up.”
So that is exactly what she did. Eliza walked into a room where she did not know anyone and joined a class taught by a new instructor named Abby.
When the group was asked to introduce themselves and share why they were there, Eliza said something that would stay with her throughout her pole journey.
“I just want to prove that even being bigger, I can do things. I can do hard things.”
The first class was difficult. Other students seemed able to do movements she could not yet manage. Even the warm-up felt harder than she expected.
But nobody judged her.
Eliza wasn’t alone in that fear. Katherine worried everyone would be young, fit and skinny before her first aerial silks class, and found the same thing Eliza did: nobody was judging her.
Instead, people came over to compliment her boots, introduce themselves and start conversations.
“And nothing bad happened. The world didn’t fall apart. No one said anything mean or awful.”
Eliza left the studio proud of herself for showing up. That first class did not remove every fear. It did not suddenly make every movement easy. It gave her something more important. Proof that she could do something difficult and come back again.
Finding Her People
As Eliza continued attending classes, the people around her kept encouraging her, talking to her and training alongside her. Slowly, the strangers in the room became friends.
“I’ve kept these friendships for three and a half years now. And I still train with the girls I started with multiple times a week.”
Eliza did not join pole because she wanted to lose weight. She wanted to try something new, challenge herself and discover what she was capable of.
For someone who had once felt uncomfortable being seen, becoming part of a supportive community changed everything. She was no longer doing it alone. She had people around her who understood the nerves, celebrated the small wins and kept showing up beside her.
That sense of belonging became one of the most important parts of her journey.
Building Strength One Win at a Time
At the beginning, even the most basic movements felt out of reach.
“When I went to my first class, I couldn’t even do the most basic thing. I couldn’t do a chair spin.”
Towards the end of her first term, Eliza finally achieved one of the movements she had been working on. It may have looked simple from the outside, but for her, it was a huge moment.
“I went, ‘I did that.’ I didn’t think I was going to get that. It was so rewarding.”
That feeling kept bringing her back. Every time Eliza faced a movement she thought she could not do, she had another chance to prove herself wrong. There were difficult tricks. There were frustrating classes. There were movements that felt harder in her body. But harder did not mean impossible.
“I want to keep smashing things I didn’t think I could ever do.”
Over time, Eliza progressed from struggling with beginner movements to preparing to move into an elite level. She built strength through pole and weight training, not because she believed she needed to change how she looked, but because she wanted to keep improving.
“The goal wasn’t to be thin. It wasn’t to be more attractive to other people. I just wanted to keep building my strength and getting fitter because I wanted to get that trick.”
That is one of the things many people discover when they start pole. You do not need to be strong before you begin. You build strength by beginning.
Learning to Trust Herself Again
The biggest change was not only physical. Every class gave Eliza a chance to make a commitment to herself and follow through.
She set goals. She practised. She returned when things were hard. Over time, she began rebuilding trust in herself.
“You set a pattern of constantly letting yourself down and you lose trust in yourself. Having these goals and achieving them, I’ve learned a lot of trust in myself.”
That trust grew into confidence. The person who once felt afraid to leave the house began forming lasting friendships, taking on new challenges and believing in what she could do.
“I’m not scared to leave the house anymore.”
Eliza does not describe pole as a quick fix. One class did not solve everything. Her progress came from years of showing up, learning, practising and choosing to keep going.
“I think I’ve definitely become more of who I was meant to be.”
From Beginner to Pole Instructor
Eliza’s next step is one she may never have imagined during that first nervous class. She is now preparing to teach pole herself.
“I’m going to be teaching pole next term, which I’m so excited about.”
Her own experience has shaped the kind of instructor she wants to become. She wants students of all sizes, abilities and starting points to know they do not have to become strong before joining a class.
Pole is where that strength can begin.
“I think not enough people realise you don’t have to be strong to get into it.”
Eliza also understands that every body moves differently. A movement may need to be adjusted, broken down or taught in another way. That does not mean someone cannot do it.
For a nervous beginner, having an instructor who truly understands those fears can make walking through the door feel a little easier.
You Do Not Have to Feel Ready
It is easy to imagine that everyone else in a beginner pole class feels confident. Most people do not.
They are thinking about their own body, their own movements and their own fear of getting something wrong.
“No one comes into a beginner class feeling confident.”
You do not need dance experience. You do not need to be flexible. You do not need to get fit first. And you do not need to wait until you feel completely ready. You only need to start where you are.
“You’ve got to remember you’re not alone, even if you feel that way. We are all so much more alike than you think.”
At The Pole Room, beginners learn the foundations at their own pace in a supportive, welcoming environment.
Our instructors guide you through each movement safely, help you find options that work for your body and celebrate the progress that can be easy to overlook.
You may not master everything in your first class. That is not the point. The first step is giving yourself the chance to discover what you can do.
“All that matters is you show up. At the end of the day, you’ll be leaving better off. The goal is to get 1% better.”
Ready to Take Your First Step?
Your first pole class might feel unfamiliar. It might feel challenging. It might even feel a little scary.
But you will not be the only beginner in the room, and nobody expects you to arrive already knowing what to do.
Come as you are. Learn the foundations. Take it one class at a time.
Start your journey with our beginner-friendly pole program at The Pole Room.
