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In the world of pole fitness, Roz The Diva Mays, 31, is an anomaly. At 230 pounds, shes not the type of woman youd expect to see spinning on a pole -- let alone leading the class. But the certified pole instructor and personal trainer in New York City is doing just that.Mays grew up in a household in Huntington, Long Island, where she and her sister were raised to embrace their thick gams, which her father affectionately called tree trunks. The expression could have easily been taken the wrong way, but Mays knew better.My dad was coming from a place of love, like he was describing Serena and Venus [Williams], Mays says. Thank God we took it in a good way, because telling some teen girls their legs look like tree trunks couldve turned out really horrible.Mays recalls her upbringing as fortunate and says her family was extremely supportive of her activities. She participated in fencing, soccer and, her favorite, softball.Despite her physical activity, Mays never had what most would consider the typical athletic build.?A chubby child who became an even chubbier adult, she is the complete opposite of lean and muscular and was often judged for her physical appearance.As much as I loved playing sports, it was also around that time when I was younger that I sort of cemented the idea in my head that I wasnt valuable to sports because I couldnt run fast, Mays says. Even before puberty weight hit, I was just never a quick body, and it was the quintessential story of the last person picked for tag. And I think because it was so normal for so long, I didnt realize how damaging some of those thoughts were.After earning a business degree from George Washington University, Mays got stuck working a sedentary job at a nonprofit that wasnt her ideal career path.?As a result, she developed bad eating habits and was wearing the biggest size that Old Navy had to offer. She describes that time as her rock bottom, the moment she realized she had to make a change.She signed up for a gym membership and immediately got hooked on the dance classes, particularly pole.Your first pole class will tell you about muscles you didnt know existed. I left in pain and couldnt raise my arms for a week, [but] I couldnt wait to get back in the class, Mays says. I think pole is one of those things where with the first class you either love it for life or you never touch that pole again.Despite being one of the biggest students in her classes, Mays found confidence and support in the pole community and began to embrace her body.In the spring of 2010, she competed in the first Polesque, a pole-meets-burlesque competition where the winner is determined by a combination of crowd opinion and judges ratings. Mays didnt win, but she made an impression.?When she returned to the stage for Polesques second season, spectators couldnt recall her name but remembered her sassy performance to Beyoncés Diva.A year later, Mays was so skilled that she took home top honors at Polesque, thanks to her racy performance to Christina Aguileras Nasty Naughty Boy.Pole stuck with me because I can be as sexually extroverted as I wanted to and it was appropriate in that forum. It was like I get to live my truth in this moment, says Mays,?who ranks the win as one of her greatest sports, pole and life moments to this day.Mays performance style is much like her teaching style: Its sexy, but also playful and inclusive. Singing along to tunes while she sashays and struts around the stage has become her signature move, and it draws audiences into her performances and students into her classes.Beyond the routines and rhythms, Mays has a following primarily because of her personality. Shes a born show-woman who takes over the spotlight the moment she walks into a room. Its that uncanny energy and charisma that made hiring Mays as an instructor a no-brainer for Sharon Goldberg, owner of IncrediPOLE, a Brooklyn-based fitness studio.Teaching pole dancing began as a discreet side hustle, but when Mays online footprint began to create a commotion at her desk job, she eventually found herself unemployed. This prompted Mays to pursue a full-time career in fitness focused on pole work. She now?leads group fitness pole classes at IncrediPOLE and Body and Pole?and offers personal training to clients.Word of the mesmerizing plus-sized pole instructor and performer led to the producers of the Adam Sandler movie Thats My Boy scouting Mays as a stunt double for comedienne Luenell, who played a stripper in the 2012 film.Despite all of her success and body positivity, Mays has had her fair share of critics, the most notable being radio personality Howard Stern, who she says told her she was too fat for fitness during an Americas Got Talent audition.My audition didnt air on TV, other than in a quick montage, but he said that in front of 1,000-plus people -- including my parents -- but I wasnt bothered by it, Mays says. Some people were so shocked by his words, but it takes a lot to shock me, especially someone calling me fat in relation to pole, because I expect to hear stuff like that. So I consider myself extremely lucky because his comment led to a lot of subsequent interviews [about fat shaming and body positivity].On any given day, Mays classes begin with a not-so-easy warm-up tailored to whatever techniques shes?demonstrating that day.When it comes to pole, students engage in joint-stabilization moves along the lines of Pilates and yoga, along with flexibility workouts, as Mays lively playlist -- which usually consists of artists such as Beyoncé, Jill Scott and Mary J. Blige -- booms in the background.Mays sings along to the tunes to help ease students anxiety as she prepares the class for the work (and fun) ahead. In other words, she has grown accustomed to becoming peoples cheerleader.Shes an obviously energetic person, and sometimes when your instructor can do everything perfectly every time, its a little intimidating, says Alyea Canada, one of Mays students. So the fact that she is very real with us about when she has difficulty getting into stuff, being like, I cant do that, but Im gonna help you figure out how, thats just really amazing.What Mays students dont know is that appearing before them in just a sports bra and short shorts -- a necessity in pole because you need direct skin contact for grip -- wasnt always so so easy for Mays.One day I was getting dressed and before I put my shirt on, I was like, Roz, you might be able to do this. I was wearing these really high-waisted shorts and a sports bra and I had an inch, literally like an inch of rib showing, and I was like, I think I can try to teach the class in this, Mays says. So I taught the whole class like that, and after class I told them what I did and everybody clapped for me. It was fun, and when I got home I cried harder than Ive ever cried in my life because there was so much relief. It literally felt like the entire weight of the world was off of my shoulders that first time of being out and my gut hanging out.Today, Mays confidence and self-image are in a good space, but she acknowledges the proverbial elephant in the room -- her eating habits. She admits that shes still working on portion control and finding balance, but The Diva has the final say in her own fitness journey. Shes not Instagram-trainer perfect, but she values transparency over everything, even if it means telling the truth about her own shortcomings. Mays ultimate #bodygoal is to not focus on the number on the scale, but to lean out and muscle up.I want to get into power lifting. Thats gonna be my new obsession [because] my body needs some new thing to do, she says. Pole is still gonna be there, but I want a new hobby. I have dreams of putting a fire truck on my shoulders and just straight chilling down Flatbush Avenue. I [used to] think that strong was the equivalent to skinny before, but not anymore.Starrene Rhett Rocque is a Brooklyn-based writer and pole fitness instructor. Shes also author of the self-published novel Bloggers Cant Be Trusted. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Nike Air Max Plus Tn Cheap . "It was nerve-wracking, but we pulled through," said Collaros, who threw four touchdown passes to lead the Toronto Argonauts (8-4) to a 33-27 win over the Calgary Stampeders (9-3) in front of 28,781 fans at McMahon Stadium. Cheap Air Max Plus Tn . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. http://www.cheapairmaxplusclearance.com/cheap-air-max-plus/air-max-plus-mens.html . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. Cheap Air Max Plus 270 . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Buy Air Max Plus Tn .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. As Charlie Strong has learned in two years as Texas coach, the Big 12 is not a conference for a team trying to find an offensive identity. In a league filled with fast-paced spread attacks, it is difficult to hide deficiencies at quarterback.So before diving into identifying six pivotal players in the Big 12 this season, it should be noted: It is a given that whomever plays quarterback (sophomore Jerrod Heard or freshman Shane Buechele) for the Longhorns could end up as the most important player in the conference.As usual, the Big 12 has some star quarterbacks. None bigger than Oklahomas Baker Mayfield. Though Oklahoma States Mason Rudolph and Texas Techs Patrick Mahomes will likely put up numbers to rival the Sooners Heisman Trophy contender.Looking past the stars, here six players whose performances will be pivotal for their Big 12 teams in 2016.Denzel Johnson, S, TCUJohnson is one of those of those hybrid-type defensive players that every good defense needs when facing spread offenses. Looks like a safety (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), often plays like a linebacker up near the line of scrimmage (two sacks, eight passes broken up, 11 1/2 tackles for loss). While the Horned Frogs retool their offense this season, a defense that ranked second in the Big 12 in yards per play allowed (5.16) can help pick up any necessary slack, with Johnson as a prominent playmaker.Seth Russell, QB, BaylorRussell is coming off neck surgery that ended his 2015 season just as he was starting to get rolling (2,104 yards and 29 touchdown passes). Hes been cleared to play, but the senior hasnt taken a hit since last season. Making Russells recovery even more vital is the fact that Jarrett Stidham, last seasons promising freshman backup, has decided to transfer. The Bears are a hard team to predict after a tumultuous offseason, but this much is certain: Russell must be as good as new for Baylor to have any shott to finish near the top of the Big 12.ddddddddddddIan Sadler, WR, Texas TechJakeem Grant, maybe the fastest player in college football last year, is gone and the Red Raiders need to replace 1,268 yards and 10 touchdowns from their inside receivers. No one is saying Sadler (42 catches for 596 yards and three touchdowns) needs to double his production and make up for what Grant did alone. But Mahomes will need reliable slot guys who can turn a short gain into a big one occasionally and either Sadler or Cameron Batson will be asked to fill that role.Rushel Shell, RB, West VirginiaShell is a bruiser at 220 pounds and a former four-star recruit. Hes been a good player for the Mountaineers, sharing carries the last two seasons but never emerging as the best of a bunch. With Wendell Smallwood (and his 1,519 yards rushing) gone, Shell is the go-to-guy. The senior will be running behind one of the best lines in the league, too.Charles Walker, DE, OklahomaThe Sooners were second in the Big 12 in sacks last season with 39, but Erik Striker and Charles Tapper (combined 14.5 sacks) need to be replaced. That means a bigger role for Walker (six sacks in 2015). The Sooners will need the junior to turn into a terror. At 6-foot-2, 305 pounds, he has the potential to be the best defensive lineman in the conference.Michael Wilson, OG, Oklahoma StateThe Cowboys running game was awful last season (3.58 yards per rush, ninth in the conference) and a line filled with new starters was a big part of the problem. The good news is all those guys are back with a year of experience. Or is that the bad news? Singling out Wilson is not entirely fair. The whole group needs to play better, and maybe the senior can lead the way.----Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP ' ' '