From Learning to Walk Again to Chasing Another World Title, Kaitlin Rawson Head to Prague

Photo Credit: Anna Smith Photography

A broken neck changed her life, but it could not take away her love for pole fitness as Kaitlin Rawson prepares for the world championships.

Johannesburg, South Africa (19 October 2026) – The road to the world stage has been about far more than medals. After a training accident left her with an incomplete spinal cord injury, Kaitlin Rawson had to learn to walk again before eventually returning to the sport that had captured her heart.

Now, she is preparing to represent South Africa at the IPSF World Pole and Aerial Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, where she will compete in ParaPole from 27 October to 1 November.

Kaitlin first tried pole fitness in 2014 with her mother, Debbie, on a whim. She quickly fell in love with the sport, but her journey took a devastating turn two years later when she lost her grip during training and fractured her C5 vertebra.

The injury left her with incomplete quadriplegia. After a week in intensive care and three months in a rehabilitation hospital, she had to relearn basic skills, including walking and feeding herself.

“Pole was the thing I’d fallen in love with, and I wasn’t ready to let the injury take that away.”

Returning to the sport became a driving force during her recovery. She began dancing again in 2017 and gradually rebuilt her strength, adapting her training to accommodate the lasting effects of her injury.

In 2019, she made her World Championships debut, finishing second. She went on to win the ParaPole world title in 2021, 2022 and 2023, setting a world record in 2022. Last year, she also finished fourth in the world in Artistic Aerial Pole after competing against able-bodied athletes.

This year, Kaitlin returns to ParaPole with a clear objective: “My goal for Prague is to place first in my division.”

She will join eight other South African athletes who qualified at the 2026 national championships, which attracted 58 entries and 257 spectators in person and online.

The team spans junior competitors to Masters athletes over 50, competing across Pole Sports, Artistic Pole, Aerial Hoop, Ultra Pole, doubles and ParaPole. While some athletes bring years of international experience, others, including Kim Nolte, Roxanne de Beer and Arya Padayachee, will make their World Championships debuts.

However, qualifying does not guarantee a place on the international stage. Twelve athletes qualified for this year’s championships with 16 routines, but only nine will make the trip, largely because of the financial burden.

“Flights, accommodation, entry fees, coaching and time off work all add up.”

The athletes fund their own participation, while the SA Pole and Aerial Sports Federation operates entirely through volunteers. Sponsors Infinity Grip and All Things Aerial have supported the team with tracksuits and vests, but Rawson believes greater sponsorship and recognition are needed to help the sport grow in South Africa.

Outside competition, Kaitlin co-owns Elevate Fitness studio in Johannesburg, coaches young aerial hoop athletes and works full-time at an education technology company.

As the team prepares to fly to Prague on 23 October, she hopes more South Africans will discover the athleticism and dedication behind pole and aerial sports.

“Pole and aerial sports are real, demanding sports that take incredible strength, flexibility and dedication.”

For Kaitlin, the championships offer another opportunity to test herself against the world’s best. For Team South Africa, they represent the culmination of months of training, sacrifice and determination to compete on the international stage.