ZOE ASKEW
POLE
By Zoe ASKEW
AFTER winning the Victorian Pole Championships (VPC) earlier this year, Allison Murphy, went on to place third in the Australian Pole Championships (APC) on Friday, December 2.
Local pole dancer, Allison, took to the stage at Federation Square earlier this month, with her ‘Hella the Goddess of Death’ routine, earning her third place in the APC.
“It was something completely unexpected,” Allison said.
“Winning the Victorian Pole Championships was super unexpected.
“Did I ever think I would compete at a national level? No.”
Allison dominated the VPC at Federation Square in August, taking out the amateur championship title and scoring a spot in the APC with her ‘Black Widow’ routine.
Shortly after competing in the VPC, Allison made her way to Shepperton for the Regional Pole Championships, where she took out first place in the elite pole category.
Returning from Shepperton, Allison knew it was time to get to work, with APC fast approaching.
“It was head down, ass up after winning VPC, really taking my routine to the next level,” she said.
“I was playing it safe but bringing something new, something that was worthy of the APC stage.”
Allison spent four months preparing for the APC, coming up with a completely new character and routine.
“My character was Hella, the Goddess of Death from Thor Ragnarok,” Allison said.
“I have been doing Avengers characters for years; I chose strong, powerful women, and I really wanted to try something different and do an evil character.”
Allison’s character selection was not the simplest, as her costume warranted numerous helping hands over hours of sewing, gluing, cutting and mending.
“It was a lot of work pulling off the costume, a real team effort,” Allison said.
“A friend of mine made my headpiece; it took two months.
“She took moulds of my head … then I had to train in the headpiece to see if I could actually do the routine in it.
“It was a big team effort, and I am super grateful to have these people in my life.”
For Allison, the effort didn’t stop at the costume front.
“I was up for training at 5am, then I’d go to work. On Wednesday nights, I teach pole at PhysiPole Studios (Traralgon), train for a few hours after,” she said.
Allison praised her instructors from Kylie J studios, who she trains with via Zoom and the community at PhysiPole Studios in Traralgon.
On December 2, Allison took the stage at Federation Square, confessing that although finishing third, she wasn’t satisfied with her APC performance.
“I was really super surprised I placed; weird feeling because it wasn’t my best performance,” she said.
Allison has been blown away at her newfound platform, following her achievements at the Regional Pole Championships, VPC and APC.
Despite its growing popularity and proven physical and mental health benefits, there is still a stigma associated with pole dancing, which Allison is determined to eradicate.
Allison is now preparing for her next competition, Hardcore Pole Dancing Championships, which will be hosted in Sydney on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
