In the pole dance or pole fitness world, there is very little sponsorship. In South Africa, we have so many talented performers who own the world stage. It is a dream for so many to be able to show their talent and hard work on the stages around the world.
Infinity Grip aims to do as much as possible to help athletes realize their dreams through any form of sponsorship that we can assist with.
This is our dream in building the brand.
One of South Africa’s absolute diamonds is Claudia Moruzzi. Infinity Grip played a key role in sponsoring her to compete at the Pole Championship Series at Arnolds Ohio in March 2020. https://polechampionshipseries.com
Unfortunately due to the Corona Virus the Championship was cancelled mere days before the event. It was so sad for us, as she had worked so hard in her training and was ready for the world stage. We are very happy that she is back home safe. She has had to self-quarantine as the USA is a high-risk zone and our love and support are with her as she makes sure she is ok.
In light of what is happening in the world, Arnold Classic Africa has also been postponed to a later date in the year, we are waiting for more details on when this will be.
Sporting events all over are being cancelled, and many gyms, studios etc are closing for the next few weeks or have already been closed. This takes a massive strain on all athletes and studio owners.
Now more than ever we need to be mentally fit and make sure we take care of ourselves.
Claudia wrote this post earlier in the year while she was preparing for PCS in March, the competition didn’t happen, however, the challenges and mind games are still relevant and we wanted to share her thoughts on what it takes to be a champion.
Mind Games by Claudia Moruzzi
Let me just put this out there: I’m a performer through and through.
I love telling stories, conveying concepts or drawing attention to topics about which I feel passionately. If it’s artistic, or even just entertaining, I’m on board.
Sadly there aren’t many platforms where pole dancers can perform, except in competitions, so I’ve found myself competing a lot in recent years. It has been a time of immense personal growth and I’ve learned a lot about myself in the process.
For me, competing has been much more about mental strength and harmony than physical endurance. My biggest learning has been that I can say without a shadow of a doubt, I am not a “competitor”.
It has been necessary for me to make the distinction between “performer” and “competitor” because my motivation for dancing is the story I’m telling. I’m not there to win. I’m there to make you feel something.
Now don’t get me wrong. Winning is glorious. But when I’ve focused on winning instead of the art, I’ve always failed miserably. Even worse than that, the joy was sucked right out of the whole process.
And yet I so easily lose my way. It’s just too simple to get stuck into perfectionism instead of immersing myself in the character.
This was brought home quite strongly when I recently qualified to compete internationally at the IPSF. I had a really strong routine when I competed nationally and I scored much better than I ever expected. So well, in fact, that I hold a new world record for the highest score in my category.
While this was such an honour, I found that it changed my focus in many subtle ways. I suddenly felt I had a duty to win at Worlds or I’d be letting myself down.
Competing internationally is a very overwhelming experience if you don’t know what to expect. During my routine, I slipped in a trick that I have done for years. I tore a ligament in my hand and was unable to complete the next day.
I was devastated. I couldn’t understand how it could’ve gone wrong. And yet, I know that it was simply that I wasn’t entirely present. I was thinking of winning.
My routine for the PCS at the Arnolds is highly conceptual and deeply personal. Through all my intensive physical training as I prepare to leave for Ohio, I’m keeping my eye on the prize. The prize being, opening myself up to allow the audience on my emotional journey with me.
Infinity wishes her all the best in her training. In our eyes, she is already a winner. To catch more of her follow her Instagram on https://www.instagram.com/claudiapoler/
To find out more about PCS click here https://polechampionshipseries.com
