By
Monica Zimmerman, syn4good.com
Bucket List
“I
started pole dancing as part of my bucket list,” shouted Olivia Reynolds, 50,
married, mother of two but raised seven children, active church member,
graduate of Delsea Regional H.S., and a Criminal Justice graduate of Cumberland
County College.
In
addition to her education, she worked as a Behaviors Life Guardian for Ancora
Psychiatric Hospital and a Life and Recreational Therapist for fourteen years
at PAFACOM (formerly known as the Vineland Developmental Center). Additionally,
her experience, hard work and dedication to the Mental Health community, earned
her an honorary Bachelor of Science degree in Mental Science from PAFACOM.
Reynolds’
active participation as a community meeting attendee combined with her driven
attitude to assist humanity has helped her to become an influential voice in
her Bridgeton, NJ neighborhood. In addition to these experiences and as the founder
of T.O.P. Studio and Fitness, as featured on blogspot, she attributes pole dancing for changing her life
spiritually, mentally and physically.
There
were things she wanted to do before turning 40. So when she turned 36 she said,
“Well I better finish this list, I only have four more years. Half of them were
done, riding a motorcycle, driving a mac truck, jumping a train, everything.
Pole dancing, I was a little scared because of the negative stigma that’s given
to us [it].” Her activities doesn’t come as a surprise to her family according
to her cousin Jonathan Zimmerman, “She was always fun and adventurous when we
were growing up.”
Inner and Outer Beauty
Reynolds
founded T.O.P. Studio and Fitness for women to exercise and discover their
inner and outer beauty in a profound new way. Since she believes that women should
be proud of their curves, her first session with clients consists of them looking
in the mirror and pointing out their dislikes about their bodies. She
encourages them to get it all out of the way to make room for all the things
her clients are going to like about their bodies. She also adds, “Remember
we’re sexy and we can’t help it, it’s the way God make us. Now how you [we]
introduce yourself [ourselves] is up to you [us].”
She
combines sensual movement with solid fitness principles that every woman can
learn and do in order to build the strength that’s needed to participate in more
advance pole work. For example, Tanisha shared that these classes helped her to
get back in shape after having her baby, two months ago. She enjoys it so much
that she’s thinking about training to be an instructor, herself. Since students
can become instructors and compete in pole competitions, Reynolds looks forward
to seeing a category in the Olympics, someday.
Pole Benefits
“I’m
not afraid to show you that I wear a six pack. I wear it proudly because of
pole dancing,” yelled Reynolds while tugging at her workout gear. As a sufferer
of two torn rotating cups and arthritis she credits her solid fitness
principles for the flexibility she now enjoys. She tells everyone, “Now you
can’t even tell that I have these ailments. I say this to say, you can do
anything you want. And don’t let people’s negative stigmas dictate where you go
or what you do!”
T.O.P.
Studio and Fitness, additionally shared on betterfly, is home to hundreds of
women of every age, shape and size who have experienced these self-confidence,
liberation and fitness benefits for themselves.
Olivia
“T.O.P. Studios” Reynolds
Jonathan
Zimmerman
