How Pole Fitness Helped Me Find Confidence, Community, and Myself by Angela G

“I just want to help people find their inner confidence.”
— Chantelle Beasley, Owner of Aradia Fitness

This quote stopped me in my tracks.

If it weren’t for Aradia, I honestly don’t know who I would be today — and that truth deserves to
be witnessed.
Dance has always been something I sought out, both as a child and as an adult. As a kid, it felt
natural. As an adult, it became more challenging to find spaces that felt welcoming, challenging
and aligned—but they existed, and I had a lot of fun learning different styles and meeting
wonderful people. When I found Aradia it felt exciting yet familiar, like something I didn’t know
I had been missing.
My very first class was at the old Whyte Ave location with one of our incredible instructors,
Charlie. She was effortlessly cool with long, colourful dreadlocks, and she always asked what
music we wanted to dance to. There were only a few of us in that class, trying it for the first time.
We loved it.
I remember finishing that first class and immediately wanting to go home and practice so I
wouldn’t forget anything before the next week.
Fast forward a few months and I was taking more classes—so many more—that I installed my
own pole in my basement so I could practice every single day. I was obsessed, but in the
healthiest way. My kids got involved, and our home was filled with dance parties for years after.
Even when studios were closed due to government restrictions, I had learned enough
foundational movement to keep me going… for a while.
When I returned to pole fitness semi-full time, I started learning inverted moves—going upside
down. They terrified me. They exhilarated me. I remember Chantelle once saying that the first
time she went upside down, she realized she could do anything. I understand that now.
There is something profoundly empowering about training your physical body in a way that your
mind has no choice but to follow. Between pole, treadmill running, and hot yoga, I became the
strongest I had ever been in my 40+ years of life. All while being a mom of two boys, navigating
the messy, beautiful challenges of life, and making real, concrete, life-changing decisions.
Aradia was there through all of it.
I remember storming into a class one morning at the old Sherwood Park studio, climbing to the
very top of the pole, and asking permission to rage about the frustrations of life. My pole mama
and sisters cheered me on the entire way. Those classes became my therapy—healing my
physical body, my emotional body, and my mental body.

I felt focused. Determined. Ready to create a different reality than the one I was living in.
Around that time, Aradia posted that they were hiring party instructors. The hours were Saturday
nights—literally the only night I had to myself and usually no plans anyway. Getting paid to
dance felt like the perfect segue back into the workforce. What I didn’t realize then was how
completely that decision would change my life.
The moment I became part of the instructor team, everything shifted. I was suddenly surrounded
by over 50 women—supportive, encouraging, and genuinely rooting for me. I became part of a

team led by one of the most inspiring and grounded women I had ever met.
At the same time, the idea for a “gypsy” business had been brewing in my heart since before I
had kids. I knew I didn’t want to return to the public system to teach. I was exhausted by
childcare, too tired to serve tables, and craving a challenge—something I could build on my own
terms.
Enter opportunity.
I was considering running a business out of my home, but anyone who’s worked from home with
kids knows it’s not quite as glamorous as it sounds. Just as I was asking Chantelle if I could sell
crystals (yes, rocks) out of one of the Aradia locations, she presented an entirely different
opportunity: renting a room in the new space and working alongside her.
I remember her encouraging words, “This is literally the safest place to try something new.”
Of course, she was right.
When I decided to take the leap, she lovingly asked a promise of me.
“Angela, please give it at least one year.”
November 1, 2023 Sacred Connections, my “free-spirited, heart-led business” was born.
That was two and a half years ago.
Today, both of our businesses are growing and thriving. I have become the most confident
woman I have ever been and I owe so much of that to this community.
Chantelle and the women of Aradia are some of the most genuine, nurturing, and supportive
souls I have ever known. I truly don’t know where I would be without this community. I am
deeply proud to be part of it, and I will always strive to uphold the safe, sacred and empowering
space that Aradia represents—for every person who walks through its doors.

Book a session with me, you can find my website here!

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