The Great Lakes is a beautiful place to grow up, but like any regional area, it lacks some of the opportunities available to kids in more populated parts of the country.
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Ever since she saw an acrobat performing aerial silk at the circus as a three-year-old, Keeva Sheridan has wanted to learn how to do it herself.
Unfortunately, despite there being some great gymnastics classes in the area, the closest place offering aerial silk lessons is a few hours away.
So, with the help of her mum and dad, 10-year-old Keeva took things into her own hands and went about teaching herself.
After rigging up a set of bed sheets in her family's Smiths Lake garage, she's spent the better part of the past 12 months gleaning what she can from YouTube videos and learning a variety of tricks, putting together her own routines for the enjoyment of her family.
And she's picked it up very quickly.
"She really is good at it," her mother Donna said.
"I love it. She's flexible and artistic."
Having done ballet and gymnastics in the past, Keeva is indeed flexible and artistic, with the Year 5 Pacific Palms Public School student able to twist herself into various poses and movements while she hangs suspended above the ground.
"I usually do it when I get home from school," she said.
"I love that I'm up high and flipping around in the air."
With Keeva showing a good deal of natural talent for the pursuit, Donna would like to take her beyond their garage to somewhere she can get professional help, but admits the distance makes it hard.
"I feel disappointed I can't offer her something," she said.
"I'm looking into school holiday courses and classes. Or a place she could go for the weekend."
In the meantime, Donna and her husband have promised to get the garage cleaned out in order to set up a designated space for Keeva to pursue her favourite pastime.
"It's put a bit of pressure on us," she joked.
They'll also look at what kind of aerial silks will be suitable for the space, so Keeva can wrap her hands around the real thing.
But regardless of the limitations placed on them by living in a regional area, Donna was proud of her daughter for taking the initiative to teach herself such a unique and challenging skill.
And Keeva isn't content to stop there.
"I'm interested in aerial hoop as well," she said.
"I'd love to be in the circus."
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