Im Manda, 44 years old. I’ve been teaching aerial since 2013. I have run CirqueFit for over 3 years now, offering aerial hoop, aerial cube, trapeze, hammock and various other forms of circus based equipment to offer fun and friendly fitness classes to all ages and abilities.
I have been doing pole since 2010 as my hobby, but during lockdown I decided to treat my students to something new, so I took the Xpert 1&2 which was amazing.
Speaking of lockdown, after losing my main ‘muggle’ job in March due to COVID. I decided we were all going to suffer mentally and financially and a few zooms a week was only going to brush the sides financially for me, most of my students were on furlough so were only taking 80% of what they were used to, so I decided not to charge for Zooms and offered 5 FREE zoom classes a week. Two CirqueFlex, a Cirqueass and a mystery workout. (These could be abs or something really funny like face yoga or an 80’s Mad Lizzy workout!) I also asked my cousin who is working through his Yoga qualification to host a Yoga practice session. So we had sessions on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
I never imagined how much these free classes would benefit everyone’s mental health, including mine, probably more than I realised! They have made lockdown a breeze. (Well as much as it could have been) but also have kept us together as an aerial family. Also we have all progressed so much with our flexibility – its been fab!
I didn’t do all this helping my students through lockdown for any recognition, I just did it, but reading the words in the nomination was so nice. Some days myself, especially in the depth of lockdown, I admit I woke up and thought, I could do without this today, but after hosting the session I always felt a million times better and ready to take on the world.
Just proves the power of exercise and interaction with people, even if it was only through a computer screen!
I am only a small school and CirqueFit was my part time thing outside my proper job until COVID changed that, so from after lockdown, with the additional pole classes, teaching will become one of my main incomes. Most of my students have not done pole before so they are looking forward to trying something new!
Having an award to boast about would be an amazing thing to kick my post lockdown new venture off with 🙂
I host Aerial Playground charity events each year and all together raise thousands a year for St Catherine’s hospice which is close to my heart,
Attached is a pic of me last week in Bowness as I was about to come upside down face to face height with a swan who had pestered us the whole time! (Pics to be uploaded to my insta from when it tried to bite my bum on the aerial hoop!!!)
My social accounts are:
www.instagram.com/manda1975 (personal)
www.instagram.com/Cirquefituk (CirqueFit)
www.facebook.com/mandabrown1975 (personal)
www.facebook.com/cirquefituk (CirqueFit)
www.twitter.com/cirquemanda (bit of both!)
