At last week’s International Pole Championship in Hong Kong, Australia’s Deborah Roach out-maneuvered her competitors to win first place in her division — with the aid of only one arm.
The championships focus on “pole art,” which emphasizes the fitness and creativity components of pole routines, the International Business Times reported.
According to the Telegraph, Roach felt like she didn’t belong in “normal” society and sought refuge dancing in the underground Goth scene as a teen, ultimately getting into stage dancing in clubs. In 2006, the paper reported, she was inspired by a circus-themed double act and decided to take up pole dancing and aerial acrobatics.
Full story: Deborah Roach, one-armed pole dancer, wins international championship