The artistic hobby,which entails wrapping your body around two silk pieces hoisted about three-metres high,changed her life trajectory.
Brisbane aerialist Kacey Haigh has been doing aerial silks for the past 10 years.NFG
Haigh went from being a retail worker to an aerial silks instructor and personal trainer with a passion for personal development.
“I would explain to people that before I walked into the aerial world,I was a legit couch potato,” she says.
“When I finished work,I’d sit on the couch and down a bag of salt and vinegar chips before dinner. I had no awareness of health and fitness.”
A friend nagged her to try aerial silks until she caved,attending a beginners’ holiday workshop.
“We had a lot of fun and it was a small group of girls so it was nice and relaxed,” she says.
Haigh signed up to three classes a week - lyra,silks and a conditioning class.
“It didn’t happen instantly. It took a few weeks of the first term where I really got into it. The biggest thing for me was having completely different people around who had a different mentality.”
Haigh describes aerialists as persistent goal seekers,supportive and a community aspiring to achieve great things.
“I started to see a different side of me. I was more driven and motivated,and I just thought,well I’m never going to stop this,” she says.
In nearly 10 years of participation she has achieved many things,including placing second in the national Bend The Air competition last year at the elite level.
“It never gets boring. There’s always another challenge and no matter how long you have done silks,you can still get things wrong,” she says.
“You can make it your own. Silks is a beautiful balance of strength,endurance and perseverance but also grace to create a flowy routine.
“It feels like you’re a ballerina - strong and lean,but you have elegance.”
Haigh says that the belief you can’t commence aerial silks without upper body strength is false - you can build your strength as your skills develop.
“Give it a go,there’s no harm in trying. What’s the worst thing that can happen?
“For me,I had to do it with a friend,but had no idea I had this incredible passion. Aerials is my life.
“You never know the people you’re going to meet or the fire that might light up inside of you.”
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