I am sure this piece will not be the last in the deluge of introspections you will read about what we have collectively learned a year on since entering the first national lockdown in March 2020. Every piece will share certain similarities, but overall I think we will discover the beauty in each person’s unique experience and how it changed them – if at all. 

Before Boris Johnson made the announcement last year that we would be going into lockdown, I thought myself to be rather grounded, sure of my opinions and able to withstand many things. This image of myself wasn’t necessarily far from the truth, it was just very blurry, and a prolonged period of time away from other people and things that usually serve as distractions provided an opportunity to see myself more clearly. 

In 2016 I opened my first pole dance fitness studio and went from strength to strength in building up the reputation of the studio as well as class capacities. Due to the prejudice I faced in the fitness industry, I knew it was important to have a space where people not included in mainstream conversations about fitness could feel celebrated and safe. You can then imagine my frustration and fear once I knew that I would have to close the studio in order to follow national guidelines.