Presently, one third of the world's human population is in confinement - it's an incredible statistic, and a situation that many of us did not see coming until it was upon us. As I hesitate even to write this post, our lives already saturated enough with corona-related news, I feel that it would be omitting a key event not to accord some space here to the elephant in the room. So I decided to let myself vent a little and record some of the frustration I am feeling as well as the questions I am asking, as I am certain we can all currently relate!
In Belgium, we are now on day 12 of lockdown. I have not been outside for any of that, as I fell ill with the virus on day 1 (obviously picked up at some point when we were all still going about our lives). This had a stressful impact on my life. For one, I had quit my safe, employed job to focus on developing my pole teaching, coaching and competition preparation. In a time where all pole classes are cancelled until further notice, this has financial implications.
At one of the pole studios where I teach, a system is in place to address this loss of income, for both teachers and the studio. With the last month of the current term to go, students were asked not to request a refund for their remaining class credits. In return, teachers have been filming and sharing videos and challenges for training at home. I was able to join in with this (as best as I could despite a week out when I was too ill to train at all) and am so grateful to be a part of this community, in which we are all still together, sense of humour and support network ever-present, even while training apart!
Other teachers have been posting online tutorials and giving live classes on a donation basis, which I think is also a fantastic idea. When it comes to a pole class, nothing can really beat face to face teaching, in my opinion, but with that option off the table, we have the opportunity to be creative and find new approaches, that will enrich our teaching post-corona crisis. Personally, I have not been able to take part in live distance classes so far. The reality is that coronavirus has left me with limited energy, so I can already pole for a couple of minutes, but then I have to rest and recover. I am also looking after my husband who is now ill and I am homeschooling my 9 year old daughter. This all makes planning new projects a slow work in progress. Watch this space is all I can say :-).
Another huge spanner in the works regarding my oh so carefully laid out and much anticipated 2020 plans is related to this year's IPSF preparation. At present, the IPSF has stated that the championships will go ahead. I am clinging to this hope, as I cannot bear to imagine if the events are cancelled. I am supposed to compete in the Netherlands at the start of July, where all gatherings of people were officially banned yesterday until the 1st June. On top of this uncertainty, another challenge I have to face is coming back from illness to regain training form at competition level. My lung capacity has been severely affected and I am quickly out of breath. I have lost strength and cannot hold my bodyweight so easily. Yes, I have three months to work on this; three months I was hoping to spend tidying up my performance, not regaining strength. I wonder how many other athletes are affected in this way. And will the fact that this competition is open create a problem, considering that athletes travelling from different countries are held to different lockdown and travel regulations? And how do we as athletes prepare effectively when our pole studios are closed for an indefinite amount of time?
So how to draw the positives from these hurdles? Firstly, this blog almost certainly would not exist if I had not been ill at home and experiencing lockdown. My hope for this project is to develop a platform on which I can reach out and connect at a distance with other polers. Where I can create a virtual studio focused on promoting Pole Sport in my own way, and share my IPSF experience. I have a long way to go, but I am motivated not only by the end goal, but also by the journey. I am fortunate that I was able to recover from the virus, when so many lives have been lost worldwide. I am fortunate that I can stay home and recover, when other friends are out at work carrying out vital roles in a difficult situation. Let's continue to support one another and have faith that we will come out of this crisis with a fresh approach, less controlled by our routines and with a greater respect for one another and our planet.
In Belgium, we are now on day 12 of lockdown. I have not been outside for any of that, as I fell ill with the virus on day 1 (obviously picked up at some point when we were all still going about our lives). This had a stressful impact on my life. For one, I had quit my safe, employed job to focus on developing my pole teaching, coaching and competition preparation. In a time where all pole classes are cancelled until further notice, this has financial implications.
At one of the pole studios where I teach, a system is in place to address this loss of income, for both teachers and the studio. With the last month of the current term to go, students were asked not to request a refund for their remaining class credits. In return, teachers have been filming and sharing videos and challenges for training at home. I was able to join in with this (as best as I could despite a week out when I was too ill to train at all) and am so grateful to be a part of this community, in which we are all still together, sense of humour and support network ever-present, even while training apart!
Other teachers have been posting online tutorials and giving live classes on a donation basis, which I think is also a fantastic idea. When it comes to a pole class, nothing can really beat face to face teaching, in my opinion, but with that option off the table, we have the opportunity to be creative and find new approaches, that will enrich our teaching post-corona crisis. Personally, I have not been able to take part in live distance classes so far. The reality is that coronavirus has left me with limited energy, so I can already pole for a couple of minutes, but then I have to rest and recover. I am also looking after my husband who is now ill and I am homeschooling my 9 year old daughter. This all makes planning new projects a slow work in progress. Watch this space is all I can say :-).
Another huge spanner in the works regarding my oh so carefully laid out and much anticipated 2020 plans is related to this year's IPSF preparation. At present, the IPSF has stated that the championships will go ahead. I am clinging to this hope, as I cannot bear to imagine if the events are cancelled. I am supposed to compete in the Netherlands at the start of July, where all gatherings of people were officially banned yesterday until the 1st June. On top of this uncertainty, another challenge I have to face is coming back from illness to regain training form at competition level. My lung capacity has been severely affected and I am quickly out of breath. I have lost strength and cannot hold my bodyweight so easily. Yes, I have three months to work on this; three months I was hoping to spend tidying up my performance, not regaining strength. I wonder how many other athletes are affected in this way. And will the fact that this competition is open create a problem, considering that athletes travelling from different countries are held to different lockdown and travel regulations? And how do we as athletes prepare effectively when our pole studios are closed for an indefinite amount of time?
So how to draw the positives from these hurdles? Firstly, this blog almost certainly would not exist if I had not been ill at home and experiencing lockdown. My hope for this project is to develop a platform on which I can reach out and connect at a distance with other polers. Where I can create a virtual studio focused on promoting Pole Sport in my own way, and share my IPSF experience. I have a long way to go, but I am motivated not only by the end goal, but also by the journey. I am fortunate that I was able to recover from the virus, when so many lives have been lost worldwide. I am fortunate that I can stay home and recover, when other friends are out at work carrying out vital roles in a difficult situation. Let's continue to support one another and have faith that we will come out of this crisis with a fresh approach, less controlled by our routines and with a greater respect for one another and our planet.
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