A Filipino orphan, Tif was adopted by her Australian mother and father and grew up in Sydney. She wanted to be an Olympic runner, but ended up becoming a professional modern dancer and aerialist acrobat.
Bae you are SHREDDED – what are some of the shows you performed in?
I was so fortunate to be a part of Disney’s Musical Stage Production of the Lion King (in Australia and China) where I was a hyena, gazelle and wilder beast in 8 x 3h shows each week = it was so full on. My very first professional job as a dancer was Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, I got to travel everywhere from the Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal to Alaska & Hawaii.
How’s did you end up living in Hawaii?
The cruise ship toured around Hawaii for a month one time where I saw a cultural show that told the story of the Hawaii, the Hawaiian people, the culture, mythology, the history, and showcased traditional hula dancing and chanting, modern dancing, live music and showcased aerial acrobatics. I persisted with the director and company for three years until I was hired as a soloist aerialist acrobat as the Lizard Goddess of the Waterfall and Hina the mother of the Maui God in the moon – think a dance routine on a strip of fabric at thirty feet in the air. Its one of the most physically and mentally challenging things I’ve ever done in my life.
And then you moved to Fiji LIVING THAT ISLAND DREAMLYF
Yep. I fell in love with the most beautiful, loving sweetest and sexiest 6ft3 man- god. I had never been so happy. We got married after 6 months.
Then what happened?
He nearly killed me.
Umm, sorry what?
He had been cheating on me pretty much one week after we were married. When I confronted him, he picked me up and slammed my body to the ground with my head hitting the concrete and body being smashed down as well. Blood was gushing out of my eye. I saw my shoulder bone sticking out of my skin. He was only remorseful for a few hours. This was only one description of one account that occurred. There were five incidences like that in 20 days of the end of the relationship.
TIFF WTF?
From this one, I had concussion and lay on the floor unable to move for a week. I told him I wanted to leave (it was not like I could just pick up my bags and walk out of the door. I literally could not even pick one up, let alone stand up on my own) and we would just get into arguing again then he would strangled me and throw me across the room like a sock. He would kick me, punch me, drag me all over the place. Beat my face with his fists. He gave me a dislocated shoulder, three broken ribs, black bruises all over my body, a concussion. And this was only the physical abuse. Think about the mental, emotional and spiritual abuse I had to endure as well. It was unbelievable.
How did you escape?
Logistically and physically it was really tough. I was in a village, where people had heard me being beaten up, and nobody tried to stop him; ever. I had one-arm, could barely breathe and was trying to pack my bags but had no way to leave. I reached out to an Australian yoga instructor who lived on the other side of the island who came to my rescue, with the help of her boyfriend and her girl best friend. They snuck me out of the house when he and the whole family was gone one morning. I hid for a few days, reported it to the police. He ended up being arrested and thrown into jail for three days. Unfortunately I had to endure over the next four months three gruelling court cases. Just to note, my father was never told anything until I flew back to Sydney after I had attended my first court case which was one month after his initial arrest.
What would you say to yourself now?
Know your self-worth. Find your own community or tribe as we say now and be close with your family and friends. You always need support. Also there are women’s shelters and systems in place to help, no matter which country you’re in.
Straight up are you scared of relationshps now?
Not scared at all. Actually initially I was anti-men and relationships, but then you can’t be so rigid and expecting of things. When you meet someone and you have a connection it’s good to explore that and then see what happens.
Best things you’ve done since then?
- Became vegan and that was the catalyst to major changes in my life.
- Took a study program with Cornell university (USA) online which was a certificate in Plant Based Nutrition.
- Became a certified Anti-Gravity Aerial Yoga and Fitness Instructor began teaching classes.
- Started my own business selling essential oils with the biggest essential oil company- dōTERRA.
- Was a Yoga and Fitness instructor at a 5 star leading luxury resort in the Maldives.
- Was asked to be the personal yoga instructor in the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi for an Arabic celebrity actress with an Instagram following of 2.5 million followers
So what is life like now?
I’m a yoga instructor, health coach, digital nomad travelling south east Asia and will soon travel to India for 4 months to continue to practice yoga at what they call the Stanford of yoga Shala’s- the KPYAJ Shala in Mysore. I guess you could say I’m on a spiritual alchemy. Not trying to find myself, but become more of who I am.
The post Tif – orphan, acrobat, DV survivor, vegan appeared first on The Sprinkler.
