Siobhán Gibson is a mother of four sons that has been dealt a lot of tricky cards in life, from an abusive ex-husband to early family deaths to traumatic pregnancies. In her day job at an oncology clinic, she counsels hundreds of patients with late-stage cancer. Most of her life revolves around giving herself to others, be it her patients or her four children.

Her one respite from her selfless life? Pole dancing. After her most recent birth to twins tore her body apart hip to hip and left her hospitalized for weeks, she picked it up as a way to reclaim her postpartum body. It also pushes her to be active, express herself and finally do something that’s just for her.
 

“It’s good for my body,” she said. “It’s good for my soul.”