HURST, Texas — After being sexually assaulted, Kelli Arthurs regained her confidence through a unique workout deemed aerial fitness. By attending aerial fitness classes at Shine Aerial Fitness Studio in Hurst, Texas, she not only healed old wounds but joined a community go people that uplifted each other through aerial art.
“I had been thinking about pole fitness for forever,” Arthurs said.
She knew she had wanted to try it for six years.
“When I was younger, I was sexually assaulted and raped for four years by my boyfriend’s father,” Arthurs said. " It also happened to me when I was a younger child by my brother. It can make you feel small and unwanted.”
After Arthurs experienced the effects of this form of trauma she wanted to regain her confidence.
“Trauma breaks you down. Breaks down your body physically and mentally as well,” Arthurs said.
The decision to step out of her comfort zone wasn’t easy.
“I’ve wanted to for years but I never had the confidence to,” Arthurs said. "I called the studio several times before I came. I talked to the owner Kristen.”
Kristen Rodriquez, the owner of Shine Fitness Studio says the classes not only empower you to be the person that you always knew you were, but they allow you to shine as bright as you always knew you could.
Rodriquez takes pride in creating a safe space for young adults. She started the studio roughly two years ago to help girls like Arthurs.
“Mentally for me, when I first started I was not as confident as a person,” Rodriguez said. “I really started to shine through pole and lighter aerials. When I got into aerials so I wanted to give that to other people.”
The studio offers aerial fitness such as silks, hammock, pole, hoop, as well as a variety of dance and flexibility training. The owner started out in a space that was 400 sq ft. and quickly expanded.
“It’s not about what you look like, what you think you look like, or anything like that because there are all types of bodies and sizes that come in here,” Arthurs said.
Arthurs has been practicing pole for five months and is living her best life. She’s thankful to have revived her once broken spirit.
“I am taking my power back and my agency back over my own body and my soul and my heart,” Arthurs said.