Sport
13 July, 2024
Pole position No. 1
YEARS of strength, hard work and dedication have paid off for two Cairns athletes who will compete at the 2024 Queensland Pole Championships next month.
Kristy Lee and Jessica Hodge of Pole Play Studios will be heading to Brisbane in August to compete against some of the best pole dancers in Queensland in hopes of making it to the Australia titles.
With a decade of pole dancing experience and a national title already behind her, Ms Lee will be vying for the Queensland professionals title.
In her entry application, she submitted her “roller Barbie” routine from the National titles, in which she pole danced in a fluorescent Barbie leotard and roller skates, securing her spot in the state championships.
Ms Lee said she felt proud to be selected for the titles and hoped to put Cairns on the map once again.
“It’s always an honour to be selected for a competition of this level. So, I am very excited,” she said.
“It has been a strange year for me. We lost our house to Cyclone Jasper and have recently lost a very close family member, so it’s been an unsettling year, that hasn’t allowed for the levels of training I would like.
“However, we have fantastic pole studios in Cairns and an incredibly supportive pole community. With everybody’s support, I have no doubt I’ll be able to create something to make Cairns proud.”
This is the second year Ms Hodge has competed in the Queensland Pole Championships, with her last routine “Wonder Woman” wowing the judges and spectators. This year, she is back as an amateur finalist and is excited and nervous to compete against some of the best in her category.
“It’s always scary and nerve-wracking in a good way because, although my category says the word ‘amateur’, it’s really nothing to do with the level,” she said,
“It’s dependent on if you’ve placed in previous comps and if you’re a seasoned competitor, in my opinion, so everyone is of such an amazingly high standard it’s scary.
“It’s so exciting, though, getting up on a big stage. It makes you feel a huge sense of achievement after you’ve competed, which is amazing.”
