Have you ever wondered what a Physie Champion gets up to in the off season? What does a physie girl do when she doesn’t have her weekly class to attend?! Here is a glimpse of what Martina Chan has been doing in her time off.

What is your physie story?
My Physie story begins like most others; loving music and twirling around as a little girl, and giving Physie a go at the local club – which In itself is a stroke of luck, as there aren’t many Physie clubs in Melbourne! I have been a proud Physie girl since age 4, so I’m coming up to my 20th year soon. Over the years, I have had the chance to perform with my closest friends, compete in some national-winning teams, and the amazing experience of performing on the Syllabus DVD. Now being a teacher, I get to pass my love and passion for Physie on to others.

What’s your earliest physie memory?
My earliest Physie memory is being a little 4 year old in a big 5-7 year old team. At the time we would march as a team to start the warm-up, and I would be at the very end of the line, trying to keep up as we marched along! Those who know me now will agree that not that much has changed ?

What’s the most important thing that you’ve got out of physie?
It’s the community that surrounds me. Physie has taught me many life lessons, but it’s the supportive network and lifelong relationships that I have formed through this sport that mean the most.

As a performer, do you have a favourite routine that has stuck with you over the years? Why is it your favourite?
I love the routines that allow you to show a bit (or a lot!) of personality, so I really enjoyed this year’s Open Senior dance, and I loved Handclap (2018). My heart lies with the energetic ones where you can really put on a show and perform!

What did your physie preparation/routine for 2020 look like when VIC went in to lockdown?
It certainly looked a bit different to a usual year – most of it finding substitutes for all of the things I would usually do. We were all limited in how many classes we could attend in person (only six total before competition), the sizes of our living rooms (small) and internet connections (weak!).

For me, the cardio fitness of teamwork and run-throughs changed to walks with friends, my dog and even some hiking – when Melbourne’s gatherings constraints and lockdown radius of 5km permitted. I love Zumba and when the gyms re-opened in November I was first in line for class!

2020 was a great reminder to me that Physie prep needs to be more than just the physical, and that our mental preparation is so important too. I spent time visualising performances  and improving my mind-muscle connection so that I could dance the way I imagined when we finally could in class and on the floor.

Who and what kept you motivated throughout this difficult physie year?
My teacher Lana, my students and my friends!
Victorians spent a total of 112 days in hard Stage 4 lockdown this year, and Physie girls a nearly 9 months away from class. Knowing the  kids would log on each week on Zoom kept me going for much of it – I wasn’t doing Physie just for me, and seeing how much they loved it and needed that social connection motivated me even further. It wasn’t just them who needed it – getting to see my own friends online each week whether for chatting, trivia or just to dance it out was so important. I am so thankful to my teacher Lana for her constant energy and enthusiasm for keeping us all going.

Give us 5 words that explain how you feel when you do physie.
Proud, confident, energetic, focused, strong.