Moms Gone Wild at the Circus

Have you heard of Moms Gone Wild before?

I know, I know, moms go wild every day just trying to get their kids ready for the day (insert any task where kids are required to do something that wasn’t their idea here). Haha.

But, seriously. I first heard of Moms Gone Wild through my friend Ariana. It’s an organization that brings moms in Lower Mainland BC together to do things out of their comfort zone, or at least have fun without their kids.

Ari and I have been talking about signing up for one of the MGW events for close to a year and we finally found something that worked with both of our schedules that we were excited to try out.

Hahahahaha.

Let’s just take a minute to appreciate that I am a klutz at heart. I like to explain it as being a graceful klutz; I tend to trip on nothing, fall down stairs and injure myself doing the most mundane things.

We’ll get to the injury part of this event later.

But, still. I like being active and trying new things, so we signed up for Circus training at West Coast Flying Trapeze in Pitt Meadows.

I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into.

We were set to learn how to do a knee-hang on the trapeze as well as skills on the aerial hoop and silks. Then they would have someone teaching juggling and balancing on the side.

Easy, peasy!

I met Ariana and her friend, Vanessa, at WCFT last Saturday evening. We did a quick warm up as a group (there were 20 of us) before we were divided into two groups of ten. One group started on the floor and aerial exercises and our group headed over to the trapeze.

After our safety belts were fastened, they asked for a volunteer to go first.

No one raised their hands.

They remarked, loudly, how no one wanted to go first!

I’m still really not sure why I did.

I hooked my safety belt onto the safety lines and started climbing the ladder up to the platform high above. I was trying not to think about what I was doing, just taking it one rung at a time. Part way up, my hands started to noticeably sweat as I grabbed onto the metal.

How fricking long was this ladder anyways!?

I glanced up.

There was an end.

I continued to climb, focusing on each step as my feet crept up the rungs. And then I was at the top.

It wasn’t so bad. I glanced down at the other moms, waiting and watching. My safety line was transferred to the one that would help support me when I fell (I was totally going to fall) from the trapeze bar.

I had no problem walking forward to the edge of the platform, widening my stance, as instructed. I stood as tall as possible, each hand on a support to either side of me.

My right hand let go with ease as I reached towards the trapeze bar. I was surprised at its weight when I finally wrapped my fingers around it.

It was that second hand that gave me the troubles.

I told the guy that was up there with me that I felt as thought my hands were just going to slip off the bar. He suggested I chalk them, so I let go of the bar to dust my hands in chalk and he explained that he was holding onto my belt. Just because I let go, didn’t mean that I was going to fall.

I reached out again with my right hand with ease.

And then I told him that I couldn’t do it.

By this time, a second worker from WCFT had climbed up and joined us on the platform. Moral support.

They reassured me that I could do it and the next time I heard an encouraging “hup” from behind me, I bent my knees and jumped.

I’m not entirely sure if I blacked out, but I most certainly closed my eyes and didn’t open them again until I had landed on the mats below.

I survived! Though I am certain that I am the only one that didn’t end up swinging backwards on the trapeze before letting go.

I’m probably also the only one that tucked my knees in tight while landing and just happened to somehow land with my toes tucked awkwardly beneath me, jamming them and bruising them quite badly.

Remember that "graceful klutz" comment? My fall was so graceful that the girl that was in charge of the safety line told me that I had landed perfectly.

Tell that to my toes.

Overall, I am immensely proud of myself for letting go and trying something so far out of my comfort zone!

Next time I’ll open my eyes,

Anya