TRAPEZE A LESSON IN TRUST

SOMETIMES Adie Delaney’s heart beats so loudly when she flies through the air that she’s surprised her audience can’t hear it.

The Kingston circus studio owner says the sensations that come with swinging from a trapeze – like light- headedness and sweaty palms – are a natural part of the gig that she’s come to enjoy.

But Ms Delaney says those bodily sensations are only fun because she has a choice about whether or not she wants to experience them.

She’s now delivered a talk via the international platform TED on how these feelings can teach young people a lot about consent.

“When I swing through the air to take the hands of a partner high up in a circus tent, ultimately

I have a choice of releasing if I trust that person to catch me,” she says in her talk.

“Listening to these signs is an incredibly important life skill, and not just for adrenaline junkies like me. If we don’t know how to listen and respond to our warning signs of fear, we risk being overwhelmed by a flight, fight or freeze response.”

Ms Delaney, who also works as a sexual harm prevention educator for New Town’s Sexual Assault Support Service ( SASS), said young people experienced a high rate of intimate partner violence.

“By slightly changing the way we talk to young people, we can instil a sense of empowerment within them that inherently prevents this type of harm,” she said.

SASS CEO Jill Maxwell said the TED talk was a platform for delivering their message of consent to an international audience online.

Ms Delaney’s TED talk is available to view online at www. ted. com.