Pole dancing grandma, 53, shows off her incredible physique – years after being told she was too big to be on stage: ‘Life begins at 50!’
A pole-dancing grandmother who took up the hobby at 50 says she is now in the best shape of her life.
Kerry Burnett, 53, from Essex, explained how she was told she was too fat to be a professional dancer when she was younger, and later developed an eating disorder.
But she gained the confidence to start pole dancing later in life, and it was the first time I “felt good inside and out.”
Mrs. Burnett said, “I I feel like fate really put this in my path, not only to restore my body, but also to get rid of the negativity that comes with it.
‘At the age of 47 I made a bucket list of things I wanted to try and I always wanted to do pole dancing but I was afraid I was too old.
Kerry Burnett, 53, from Essex, explained how she was told she was too fat to be a professional dancer when she was younger, and later developed an eating disorder
‘I only wanted to do one class, but the class was so refreshing and non-judgmental and there were all different body sizes, so I stayed, and I’m now 53 at the strongest I’ve ever been.
“Since then I’ve also started doing pole shows, and if you told me I was going to do that then when I first started I’d be like, no, but this is my career now and I get to travel the world.”
Ms. Burnett tried a career on stage when she was younger, but her dreams were shattered when she was told she was too big to be a professional dancer.
“I was told to just eat cabbage and drink water,” she said.
‘I tried, but I was hungry, so I just started eating and eating. I had to spend my day in a leotard and I was so conscious of my weight that everyone was always talking about me and it really started to affect me.
She gained the confidence to start pole dancing later in life, and it was the first time I felt ‘good inside and out’
Ms Burnett said: ‘I feel like fate has really put this my way, not only to recover my body but also to get rid of the negativity that comes with it’
‘I didn’t know how to keep the weight off other than throwing up, it was just a very lonely experience.
‘One day, about twenty years later, I was walking past a gym and saw all these amazing women with huge muscles and I really admired how they looked. They had so much confidence and I wanted that for myself, so I started going and really started to feel good about myself for the first time in my life.”
Ms. Burnett now teaches pole dancing classes for beginners.
She said, “MeIt’s the best feeling in the world to help people feel stronger and be the best they can be.
‘I even managed to get first place in my first big pole race, I had 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 between pole and gym all week and just train the demons away.’
Ms. Burnett tried a career on stage when she was younger, but her dreams were shattered when she was told she was too big to be a professional dancer.