
THE allure of spinning inside a ring of fire is what first caught Wagga woman Julia Erwin's attention.
But the 26-year-old has since turned a hobby into a profession as she begins the early stages of her business as a hula hooping coach.
"I used to go to 'bush doofs' with friends where they'd have music and performances and stuff, and that's where I saw this performer hula hooping," Miss Erwin said.
"Some would even have burning hoops, like actually on fire, and it just looked so exhilarating and cool, I wanted to be a part of it."
Miss Erwin starting practising hula hooping in 2016, getting more and more advanced each day. Now, five years later, she has plans to take it to the next level with her business Hooly Dooly Hooping.
"I've just started the beginning stages of coaching, I still have to figure out the more business-related side of things," she said.
"I did a lesson with a PE class at Tumut High School which was awesome, and I'm hoping to start kind of public sessions in the park and things like that to let people see what it's all about."
The activity was not just for children, according to Miss Erwin, who encouraged everyone to give it a go.
"Don't be inhibited at all," she said.
"It's really like embracing your inner child and revisiting that nostalgic childhood playfulness.
"We should be able to play still as adults."
But there were also numerous health benefits to come from hula hooping.
"Even just for exercising it's great, it absolutely gets more movement into your life and I'm a firm believer that movement is medicine," Miss Erwin said.
"It's an amazing mood booster, and if you're doing it out in the sunshine, that's an added boost of serotonin for your day too."
While not an overly popular activity, Miss Erwin said she hoped to see others get inspired.
"I was the only hooper in the area that I knew of for a while until I came across Emma, or Dizzy Dilemma, so finding someone else able to motivate me and share the interest really helped advance my training," she said.
"It's such a social thing, and for me personally, having a shared passion with people is such a big thing."
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Emma Cantrill, the personality behind Dizzy Dilemma, is another professional hula hooper in the Riverina.
Based in Leeton and Griffith, Miss Cantrill said for her, it was about the sense of freedom.
"I first came across hooping on Instagram in 2014, and I was just mesmerised because I had never seen anyone do anything with a hoop besides spinning it around your waist, but this girl was throwing it in the air, twirling, and it looked so carefree," she said.
"It looked like a feeling that I wanted to feel."
Miss Cantrill has attended numerous hula hooping events since, and offers workshops and one-on-one sessions with others hoping to learn.
As Julia Erwin also gets her new business off the ground, she said anyone interested can get in touch with her on her mobile, 0431 861 007.
"I'm also a Youth Ambassador for Embrace Mental Health so feel free to come along to our next meeting on March 7, 11am, at Cafe Sonder, or visit our Facebook group at Embrace Mental Health Meet Ups Wagga for more discreet peer support," Miss Erwin said.