Meet Geissa Peralta | Elite pole dance athlete and instructor.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Geissa Peralta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Geissa, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Geissa Peralta Reyes, and I am an elite pole dance athlete and trainer. My skills are solid, my heart is in my sport, and my dedication is to train hard to become an even better athlete. I have a passion for teaching and sharing my love, experience, and knowledge related to pole dancing.

The main reason for my success is my character. I have an enormous drive to perform. I have big dreams and know that I can only achieve them through hard work. In addition, I am not easily discouraged. I can easily overcome setbacks to continue towards my goals. I have great perseverance.

To give you an example. I wanted to qualify for the IPSF World Pole Dancing Championships in Montreal (Canada) in 2019. National championships were no longer organized in Venezuela due to the socio-economic conditions. I therefore looked for the opportunity to participate somewhere else in order to qualify. That opportunity arose in the Netherlands.

I trained extremely hard for months. To train I had to take the bus for 1.5 hours to the pole dancing studio and 1.5 hours back. Buses often did not run, arrived late, or suddenly stopped during the journey. Then I would stand in the blazing sun for hours waiting for another means of transport. In addition, crime was rampant in Venezuela. In other words, it was simply very dangerous on public transport and on the street in particular. I have been robbed three times. Once even at gunpoint.

In the meantime, I was busy arranging the trip to the Netherlands. The Netherlands is of course not just around the corner from Venezuela. Ultimately, I managed to travel and participate in the competition. I came second in my category and gained more than enough points to qualify for the World Championship in Montreal.

I was never aware of my impact on society until recently during my visit to Venezuela. I was invited everywhere to give workshops and lessons. 163 people were present during an event. Many people, especially young women, wanted to have their picture taken with me. There were even girls with tears in their eyes, just because they saw me and had their picture taken with me. This made a huge impression on me. Some of the girls were afraid to talk to me, but they did talk to my husband. They told him that they wanted to become an athlete like me. This really touched me deeply. So I really influence people to help them live healthier lives and get the best out of themselves.”
 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Pole dancing is a sport where dancing, music, gymnastics and acrobatics come together in 1 discipline. Elements that are important in the sport are flexibility, strength, coordination, technique, and creativity. The whole combination must lead to a flowing choreography that touches and inspires the audience.

What sets me apart from others is my perseverance and my way of life. I have a huge love for the sport. This is because it is a complete sport, where I can express my emotions. In conversations I am not a person who likes to talk about feelings, but when I dance, I feel free and dare to express my emotions.

I think I can overcome obstacles and deceptions. Instead of giving up, I get up and become extra motivated to perform. Of course, this is not always easy, and this process involves a lot of blood, sweat and tears. By continuing you will become stronger both physically and mentally.

I once seriously injured my shoulder. I couldn’t train for quite a while and the way back to the top was long. The therapy I received was very painful and the easiest thing for me was just to stop doing Pole dance. However, the power of the love for the sport was greater than the pain of the injury. After a year of therapy, I am back at the same level and have learned a lot. For example, I must listen more to my body and not immediately start thinking doom after a setback. Everything will always work out in the end, as long as you don’t stop and keep taking on the challenges.
Furthermore it is maybe good to know that my heart is in my sport, and my dedication is to train hard to become an even better athlete. I have a passion for teaching and sharing my love, experience, and knowledge related to pole dancing. As a child I was always playing sports. Sports is, was and always will be part of my daily life. I had discovered through sports that, that is my passion lays in helping people to live healthier live and to inspire them to do sports. Sport can help you to deal with the challenges of live. In the meantime, I became a sports instructor. For 12 years I worked as a volunteer at a non-profit organization “Moving the street”. We organized sports activities in the public space every Sunday. People of all backgrounds were welcome and could participate for free. I participated in sports lessons with detainees and drug prevention programs. It was a wonderful way to be involved and to give back to the community.

My Athletic Resume:

2013 Venezuelan National Championship, Amateur Category

2014 National Championship of Venezuela, Professional Category.

2015 National Championship of Venezuela, Professional Category 1st place.

2016 Venezuela Championships, Elite Category, 2nd place.

2017 IPSF Venezuelan National Championship, Elite Category, 2nd place

2017 Represented Venezuela at the IPSF World Championship in the Netherlands.

2018 Firelily Competition in the Netherlands, Pole Artistic, 2e place

2018 IPSF Venezuelan National Championship, Elite Category, 1st place

2018 Represented Venezuela at the IPSF World Championship in Spain.

2019 IPSF Venezuelan National Championship, Elite Category 1st place

2019 Represented Venezuela at the IPSF World Championship in Canada.

2021 PSO Level 5 Championships 2nd Place Senior Women

2022 I represent Venezuela in the World Pole Art Italy, Elite Category

2022 PSO Artistic Level 5 Los Angeles 3rd Place, Elite Category

2023 I represent Venezuela in the World Pole Art Italy, Elite Category

2023 I started a channel on YouTube.

2023 I published a training method “Physical Preparation Applied to Pole Sport”.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I like meditation in a quiet place on the beach, to be one with nature. So my friend will have to come with me to the beach.

I also love walking in the cool evening sun at Museum Park Baywalk. Of course, we can’t forget the Everglades and there I would go to the Anhinga trail. A short walk, where you can see a lot. If my friend doesn’t like walking, we can always take the “looproad”. There you also get a good impression of the Everglades. After the visit to the Everglades, a visit to JH Carne and Vara a la Llanera. This is a restaurant with Venezuelan music.

Furthermore, I am in love with Wynwood. This neighborhood inspires me enormously. Not only because of the murals, but also because of the studios and restaurants. I would spend 2 days there with my friend. Since I am Venezuelan, the following restaurants that will definitely be visited are El Sitio in Downtown, El Arepabar in Wynwood and Doggi’s Arepa Bar on Biscayne Blvd.

A visit to the “Lion Country Safari” zoo in Pam Beach should certainly not be missed. You will need a day for this.
If it’s a friend of mine, he will also like sports. So, there will be sports activities on the program. For example, canoeing in the mangrove at Oleta River State Park.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The first thing that comes to mind is my family. They have always supported me through thick and thin to make my dreams come true. I also became very motivated and inspired by Belen Serra. She is from Argentina and has been at the international top in Pole dancing for years.

Instagram: @geissaper

Facebook: geissaperalta

Youtube: Geissa Peralta Mi Mundo Deportivo

Other: Training method “Physical Preparation Applied to Pole Sport”.