If you’ve watched my interviews with Sam Star or Sean Langhaus, you’ve heard of Dora Skelton. A young handbalancer who is wise beyond her years and shows how dedication can lead to results in handbalance. I had been following her training and progress via Instagram before I met her and was impressed by how fast she’s moving forward. During the days I got to spend in NYC it clearly came out that what makes her special is her willingness to consistently put in the work and her dedication to her training.
In this interview we talk about her journey and her training, the big things she’s learned in her personal practice and how she has transitioned to coaching handbalance and contortion. The big takeaway I personally got from training with Dora is how much I can benefit from training on blocks. I used to hate blocks and would only ever balance on the floor. But when Dora explained to me that one-arm handstands for her came down to learning lateral block walks and sidebends, she got me on the block train. While I still prefer the floor over blocks, I have very quickly noticed gains in my push when I practice my one-arm drills.
Dora’s passion and commitment is contageous. So much so that I’ve decided to work with her as a coach. I’ll keep you all posted on the progress, but in the meantime, definitely check out this amazing badass!
IG: @doraskelton
I hope you enjoy this casual conversation and it motivates you to put in the work for yourself!
It’s never too late to do what you love!
-Sonji