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Celebrity Conversations: Sarah Harding
By Amy Selby

This professional acrobat and Ms. Fitness USA winner thanks chiropractic for her health and successful career.

Sarah Harding’s job title keeps getting longer as her list of accomplishments grows. What began as a talent in gymnastics at age 4 has evolved into a professional career as a fitness competitor, dancer, acrobat, choreographer, spokesmodel for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress and fitness trainer.

Her career goals and dreams nearly halted when she discovered she had a stress fracture in her lower back. The injury had her questioning her desire for competition and her athletic future. Surgery was presented as a treatment. Sarah chose another path to recovery. She was able to bounce back through chiropractic care and strengthening her core muscles while avoiding back surgery.

Several years after the injury, Sarah began her professional acrobatic career with Sea World and then Tokyo Disney and earned the Ms. Fitness USA title in 2004 and 2006. Today she performs with a prestigious international acrobatic troupe five nights a week, two shows a night at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Each show has her performing acrobatic stunts and high falls before 2,000 people.

Today’s Chiropractic LifeStyle got the opportunity to speak with Sarah regarding her career and chiropractic story.

Q
How were you introduced to chiropractic?
A
I was introduced to chiropractic at a very young age in my hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, thanks to my parents. I went to Dr. Michael Young with my three older brothers and parents. My parents saw it as preventative care. I started competing in gymnastics at the age of 9. My chiropractic sessions helped me feel good and recover from any injuries. In gymnastics part of learning is taking falls. I would go to my chiropractor to get realigned. Chiropractic helped me resume and thrive in the sport that I loved.

Q
Acrobatics is not your average profession. How do you develop an acrobatic career?
A
Training to become a professional acrobat usually starts when you’re a young kid pursuing dance, gymnastics, acting or circus arts. I began gymnastics when I was 4 years old. I loved to climb furniture and build forts. I remember dragging our bunk bed mattresses outside to our patio and lining them up behind an exercise trampoline. I’d run and bounce off the tramp and flip onto the mattresses. It was so much fun! Shortly there after, my parents enrolled me in gymnastics classes. There I’d be allowed to climb the furniture! Plus, I could do it with proper supervision. I continued with the club sport until I was 18 when I earned a full athletic scholarship to Stanford University. I competed in collegiate gymnastics for four years as an undergraduate. Then I earned my master’s degree and took a break from competing altogether. I also took a break from training regularly. The next year I decided to pursue fitness contests. I choreographed a routine and set a goal to get back into shape. As I worked toward that goal, an opportunity to perform as a professional acrobat surfaced. I’m performing today because of my love for gymnastics.

Q
You have performed with Sea World, Tokyo Disney and other big names. What’s the audition process like?
A
It depends on the audition and the company for whom you’re auditioning. One of my first major auditions was as a dancer for Disney, in L.A. There were a lot of dancers there. I think of myself as a gymnast more than a dancer, so I was a bit intimidated at first. Out of the hundreds that auditioned that day they cut it down to seven women and seven men. Somehow I made the cut. They asked the remaining finalists to tell them a bit about their training. When I mentioned I was really a gymnast, they invited me to participate in a second audition that same day. This separate audition was for acrobats only. At this audition, there were fewer than 20 participants. Of course most companies have multiple auditions in different cities to screen the best talent. In that audition I had to show my strength and gymnastics skills through tumbling, rope climbs and pull ups. Each audition is different and it depends with whom you audition, too. I try to treat each audition like it’s a workshop. I’m surrounded by talented people who inspire me to put forth my best effort. I know that even if I don’t get the job, I at least have had a positive experience. And most of the time I walk away having made some new friends.

Q
Are you seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis today?
A
I am, in Las Vegas. He’s Dr. Trev Henuset and he’s the head of health services at the Celine Dion show. He takes care of her dancers and has his own practice called Performance Health in Henderson. He also treats Elton John and other performers at Caesars Palace.

I normally see him once every two weeks or once a month. When I was training for my first marathon this summer, he helped me tremendously. I’m not used to endurance sports, and my exercise-induced asthma didn’t make it any easier! I knew if I was going to run the marathon safely, I wanted to see him at least once every two weeks. As the marathon neared, I began seeing him once a week. He did a lot of soft tissue work with me, in addition to adjustments. He also runs a private Pilates business with his wife. So they make a great team! Their work helped increase my strength and flexibility while improving my joint mobility and circulation.

Q
It sounds like chiropractic has played a major role in your life.
A
It has had an immense effect on my life. Chiropractic has allowed me to pursue what I love while maintaining my health. A lot of people get anxious if they feel injured, especially when their job relies on their physical well-being. Thankfully I don’t have to get anxious. For me, chiropractic care has been the solution. I don’t need to be afraid if I feel injured, I have the tools to fix the problem and even prevent it. I can take care of myself, and that’s empowering.

Q
Can you share any secrets to staying fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
A
Really the key to health is finding a balance between exercise, rest, eating well and nurturing relationships. Finding that balance is the hard part because it’s ongoing. Our needs change as we grow and mature. Listen to your body and be good to yourself.

Q
What’s your guilty pleasure?
A
Well, sometimes being ‘good to ourselves’ means treating ourselves to a guilty pleasure once in a while! Mine would be indulging in Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream. Boy, is it decadent!