‘MUM TAUGHT ME ALL HER TRICKS’
Megan Christian, 22, from Sittingbourne, Kent, joined the circus like her mum, Beverley, 60.
Growing up, I loved hearing stories about times gone by. My grandad, Chris Christian, ran away to join the circus in the 1950s, aged just 14. He became a well-known ringmaster and fell in love with a dancer – my gran, Wendy. They had my mum, Beverley, who became an aerial acrobat. By the time I was born, in 2001, Mum, then 37, had retired.
She showed me pictures and took me to shows starring my uncles and cousins. It was mesmerising – and I knew I wanted to be part of it.
But it wasn’t until after college that I started working on my own act with a trapeze – a bar that hangs high from the rafters. When Mum offered to train me up, I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. I learned how to hang gracefully and perform stunts. It felt exhilarating.
When I was 17, a family friend, Ernest Santus, offered me a place in the Santus Circus. Doing my act twice a day, 18ft in the air, gave me such a rush. Even though it was dangerous, I always felt comfortable and, thanks to Mum’s training, I executed every move perfectly. Mum came to watch most of my shows and always looked on proudly – it felt like we shared a special bond.
‘It felt like a special bond’
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