Most people as they get older start to take life a little slower and enjoy a leisurely pace, but not for one woman, who took up pole dancing in her 50s has no intentions of slowing down any time soon. She's even claimed her life "began at 50" and that she's in the best shape she's ever been in.
The super fit gran battled an eating disorder from a young age, but after taking up pole fitness she feels empowered in her new lease of life and feels like it was "fate" that she discovered pole dancing. Now, she's on a mission to inspire women that their age doesn't have to hold them back.
Pole-obsessed Kerry Burnett, 53, finally found who she wanted to be later in life when she discovered pole fitness and going to the gym. Now making a living as a pole fitness star, she teaches pole classes, and competes in shows, claiming it's the "best feeling in the world".
"At the age of 47 I made a bucket list of things I wanted to try and I've always wanted to do pole dancing, but I was worried I was too old. It was so late in life, but it was the first time I ever felt good inside and out. I feel like fate really put this in my path, not only to recover my body but to get rid of the negativity that comes with it," she explained.
Only planning on doing one class to cross it off her list, she found a passion and love for the sport and made a living from it, even participating in pole shows too. She further detailed: "I was only going to do one class but the class was so refreshing and non-judgmental. There were all different body sizes, so I stayed, and I'm 53 now at the strongest I've ever been. I've started to actually perform pole shows since then too which if you told me I'd be doing than when I first started, I'd say no way, but this is my career now and I get to travel the world doing it."
Now in the best shape of her life, she looked back on her youth and claimed she was once told she was "too fat to be a dancer", sparking an eating disorder and being constantly conscious of her weight. Kerry explained: "I was so knocked back and obviously being a professional dancer was my dream, I was told to just eat cabbage and drink water. I tried to do it, but I was starving so then I just started eating and eating. I was having to spend my day in a leotard, and I was so conscious of my weight, everyone was always talking about me and it really started to affect me."
She was inspired later in life when she saw other women in great shape and took it upon herself to change her life. She added: "I didn't know how to keep the weight off other than throwing up, it was just a very lonely experience. Then one day about 20 years later, I walked past a gym and I saw all these amazing women with huge muscles and I really admired how they looked. They were so confident and I wanted that for myself, so I started to go and really began feeling good about myself for the first time in my life.
"I've turned this into a business now, I teach classes for beginners now and it's the best feeling in the world getting to help people feel empowered and be the best they can be. I even managed to place first in my first big pole competition, I'd only been doing it for a few months, so I was completely blown away. Pole is the hardest and most addictive thing I've ever done. I do have rest days, but I alternate all week between pole and gym and just train the demons away."
Do you have a story to share? Email Niamh.Kirk@reachplc.com