We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kilo Kitty Buhrmaster. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kilo Kitty below.

Kilo Kitty, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Risks are everywhere! We take them every single moment of every single day. It can be from getting into your car, flying on a plane, leaving a job. starting a new career path. Mine began with the creation of my LLC and the process of opening Sanctuary of Pole. I have been a part of the pole community since the first day I spun on a pole in 2011. A few years later I became a Certified Pole Instructor in 2014 and began teaching at a facility. I saw and was a part of its growth until the end of February 2022 and since then I began a new path.

I established my LLC under my Pole name “Kilo Kitty Buhrmaster” so I could market my pole persona. I began judging competitions, teaching workshops, classes, privates, events and more under my LLC while creating a safe pole haven known as Sanctuary of Pole. I am growing as an instructor, competitor, performer, judge and coach/trainer as well as growing with my students.

Kilo Kitty, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a lady of the arts, I am a poler. I say poler because it is a good umbrella term (in my opinion) as I vary in style from dance to fitness. I have been an avid competitor since 2017, performer since 2017, instructor since 2014 but overall student since 2011. I got into pole because I was looking for an exercise that I would not become bored of. I was immediately drawn in after my first lesson. I began watching (very limited) videos on YouTube and fell in love with the strength and beauty of the pole. I became a sponge and began absorbing as much as I could. So in 2014 I became a X-Pole X-Pert Level 1 &2 Certified Instructor. After that I began studying Yoga, Sports Nutrition through online courses such as Expert Rating, Shaw Academy and more. I also became a Floor Rockers, Spinning Tricks (Beg-Low Intermediate) and Exotic Burn Certified Instructor through CRNP (Program created by an international pole artist Cleo The Hurricane). I am in the process of completing my ACE Group Fitness Instructor certification as well as my Personal Trainer certification.

With my love of pole, I began to really grow to love fitness. I began adding and teaching non-pole classes like stretching, floorwork, chair and more. My classes always had some hidden strength training movement unless it was my CaliFit class (think boot camp); it is mostly calisthenics based program. While bringing out my goofy blonde personality. I was raised that you can’t always be serious because the world will eat you alive. You can have fun, laugh, learn and feel the burn in one hour.

One thing I stress to all my students is that we all are different, we all move differently, we respond differently. We all are not the same. As my mother used to tell me “If we all were the same, the world would be a boring place”. She was right, as well all have our own style from the way we dress, to our music and our movement. So I always find something for everyone in my classes and always have a modification or substitution. I want my students to grow; whether it be emotionally, physically, mentally. To see them find themselves and feel the support from their fellow classmates and polers. It just means the world to me.

That is why I am in the midst of taking Sanctuary of Pole from Pop Up Pole classes to more of a permanent location. As anyone knows a safe haven can be anywhere that you choose. So at this time, most of the Pop Up Pole classes are under Kilo Kitty Buhrmaster (as I am the only one teaching at this time) and I am very fortunate to be able to provide classes at Motive School of Movement in Greenville SC. I teach group classes 1-2 times a week while offering private lessons, events and more during the other times.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Life has a way of letting you know that sometimes the timing isn’t right. I have experienced that so many times but this particular time helped me become the poler I am today. It was in the early years of my pole journey and I began getting the competitor bug. It was a 2 year poler and I began training more on and off the pole, changed my nutrition and found a competition that I wanted to compete in. That plan changed when I broke my left fibula bone at my “corporate” job. I was broken (mentally, emotionally and physically). According to my Orthopedic, it was a good thing I was changing my habits because it helped me from having a really bad break. As he put it, it was a clean break as if i was playing football lol. He estimated a 6 month recovery when it only took me 4 months. However, I had to retrain everything over to regain my strength, stamina and more. So back to the cutting board and other life events occurred that became priority. After almost 4 years I finally hit the stage as a competitor.

My injury helped me become a better competitor as well as an instructor.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

I would not! Pole has done so much for me. I would never have grown as a person. It has grown my confidence, help my mental health and improved my health. I lost weight, gain muscle, found my passion and love for the fitness industry as well as performing arts. I found some of the greatest friends I could ask for, lost some acquittances, got to travel to perform and teach, I found me. I live by and tell my students: “Enjoy the journey and always be true to yourself”.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kilokittybuhrmaster.com
• Instagram: www.instragram.com/kilokittybuhrmaster
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kilokittybuhrmaster
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kilo-kitty-buhrmaster
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kilo_Kitty
• Other: www.sanctuaryofpole.com IG: sanctuaryofpole

Image Credits
Don Curry, Larkin Jones