In this episode, I’m joined by Karl — and if you’ve ever seen his posts, you already know he’s not someone who blends into the background. Karl is 74 years old and constantly pushing boundaries, whether that’s on chains, flying pole, Lyra, or outside in the snow wearing a dinosaur costume. He’s one of those people who makes you stop scrolling because you genuinely never know what he’s going to do next — and I mean that in the best way.

What makes Karl’s story so powerful is that he didn’t start his fitness journey until his mid-60s, and he didn’t discover aerial until just three years ago. Despite chronic pain, scoliosis, lung issues, and surviving a helicopter crash, Karl refuses to let age or limitations define how he lives. This conversation is about movement, community, curiosity, and why saying “why not?” can completely change your life — at any age.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Starting a fitness journey in your 60s — and discovering aerial in your 70s

• How movement helped Karl reverse pre-diabetes

• Walking into an aerial studio later in life and saying “why not?”

• Why chains are his favorite apparatus

• Training with chronic pain and why movement actually helps

• The circus and pole community as one of the least judgmental spaces either of us has experienced

• Learning choreography, problem-solving, and keeping the brain sharp

• Posting on social media not for validation, but to inspire others (and their parents and grandparents)

• Letting go of self-imposed limits and focusing on fun, not perfection

• Why “have fun and don’t die” is actually a pretty great goal

Karl is living proof that it’s never too late to try something new. This episode is a reminder that community, curiosity, and movement don’t have an expiration date.

🔗 Connect with Karl: Follow @fitness_journey_ofnot2old on InstagramThis episode is about permission—permission to take up space, to be seen, to be messy and magical, and to live your one wild life fully.

Start your journey today!

• Want to try pole? Join a class at your local studio or download the free GenX Pole Arts Starter Kit⁠ to begin exploring at home.

• Visit the Linktree for links for upcoming workshops, YouTube videos, and resources to support your pole journey.

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to share, subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your support helps uplift and empower more women over 40 in the pole dance community and beyond!

In this episode of Fit, Fierce, and Fearless, we sit down with Jill, a remarkable woman whose journey with pole dance and movement is a story of courage, patience, and joy. From discovering pole later in life to embracing spin and static pole, Jill shares how she’s cultivated strength, flexibility, and self-awareness—all while balancing family, career, and life’s inevitable aches and shifts.

Jill opens her heart about the lessons she’s learned through teaching, training, and nurturing students of all ages. She reflects on the power of consistency, the value of showing up, and the joy of celebrating progress without pressure. With a gentle perspective on aging, recovery, and self-care, Jill shows us how to keep moving—physically and emotionally—so that we can continue to live fully and vibrantly at any age.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Finding your pace and embracing the journey, rather than rushing toward the next skill.

• How movement, mindfulness, and creative practice can sustain the body, even in the presence of arthritis or other challenges.

• The balance between teaching, performing, and caring for yourself.

• The joy of being a role model, both to your children and your students.

• The beauty of staying curious, consistent, and compassionate with yourself through midlife and beyond.

• How play, movement, and connection keep us youthful, energized, and alive.

Whether you’re new to pole, revisiting a passion, or simply seeking inspiration to honor your body and your life at any age, Jill’s story offers a calming, uplifting reminder: strength, grace, and joy are always within reach.

🔗 Connect with Jill: Follow @never.too.old.for.pole and @inesscircus on InstagramThis episode is about permission—permission to take up space, to be seen, to be messy and magical, and to live your one wild life fully.

Start your journey today!

• Want to try pole? Join a class at your local studio or download the free GenX Pole Arts Starter Kit⁠ to begin exploring at home.

• Visit the Linktree for links for upcoming workshops, YouTube videos, and resources to support your pole journey.

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to share, subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your support helps uplift and empower more women over 40 in the pole dance community and beyond!

**CORRECTION: Joanna returned to pole at age 39, not age 49 as she states at the beginning of the episode. **

In this episode of Fit, Fierce & Fearless, I’m joined by the truly extraordinary Joanna Littlewood-Johnson, a multi-time world champion pole artist, studio owner, Pilates instructor, competition founder, and all-around force of nature joining us from Australia.

Joanna is 56 (yes, you read that right), and her story is a powerful reminder that strength, artistry, and reinvention do not have an expiration date. From her early days as a lifelong dancer to returning to pole in midlife, competing on the world stage, recovering from a ruptured Achilles, and continuing to evolve through menopause — this conversation is packed with insight, honesty, and inspiration.

We talk about what it really means to move, train, recover, and take up space as women over 50 — both on the pole and off.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• ​Joanna’s journey from lifelong dancer to world champion pole artist
• ​Returning to pole at 49 and stepping into competition soon after
• ​Training, recovery, and longevity in your 50s
• ​Menopause, HRT, bone density, and supplements for performance
• ​Rupturing an Achilles tendon and returning to the stage 11 months later
• ​Artistry, musicality, and storytelling in pole competition
• ​Performing on Australia’s Got Talent and normalizing pole
• ​Creating inclusive competitions and educating smarter pole teachers

You don’t need to be strong to start pole — you get strong by doing it. There’s no rush, no deadline, and no single way to show up. Pole is movement, expression, strength, artistry, and rebellion — and it’s for you. The lessons we learn about ourselves in the pole studio show up in all areas of our lives, and the community makes us braver, bolder, and more supported than ever before.

🔗 Connect with Joanna everywhere she is with her Linktree links: https://linktr.ee/JoannaLittlewoodJohnson

Start your journey today!

• ​Want to try pole? Join a class at your local studio or download the free GenX Pole Arts Starter Kit⁠ to begin exploring at home.
• ​Visit the Linktree for links for upcoming workshops, YouTube videos, and resources to support your pole journey.

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to share, subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your support helps uplift and empower more women over 40 in the pole dance community and beyond!