Bree Kirk-Burnnand’s new spin on life: from accountant to circus hula hoop performer

MANY people dream of running away to join the circus, but Perth hula hooper Bree Kirk-Burnnand made it a reality.

Bree Kirk-Burnnnand from Happy Healthy Hoops.

MANY people dream of running away to join the circus, but Perth hula hooper Bree Kirk-Burnnand made it a reality.

Two years ago, the 30-year-old fitness guru was working in a “soul-destroying” job as an accountant in London and hated going to work.

“I knew that 10 years ago, even before I started working in accounting, that it wasn’t the right career for me,” Ms Kirk-Burnnand said.

But she could not find anything she was passionate about until she was captivated by a hula hoop artist at a circus in 2012.

Although she was “pretty rubbish” at first, Ms Kirk-Burnnand said she was immediately hooked.

“I’d just go down the park and drag my flatmate down there and we’d have coffee and hula hoop and have a little gossip – it was really fun,” she said.

Having dropped 5kg in five months, she quickly realised the health benefits and the impromptu park sessions with friends evolved into classes.

Soon after, she joined a troupe of hula hoopers, travelled with them and broke the world record for most hoops spun simultaneously by a group, with 264 kept going by 10 people.

“I kept saying, ‘I’m going to quit my job and join the circus’, but when I finally did it I was like this is a genuine career,” she said.

Ms Kirk-Burnnand moved back to Perth a month ago and Happy Healthy Hoops has already taken off, with last weekend’s classes selling out. She said hula hoops were set for a comeback because they made working out enjoyable.

Bree Kirk-Burnnand can spin more than 50 hoops at a time and holds a world record. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper

Originally published as Bree Kirk-Burnnand’s new spin on life: from accountant to circus hula hoop performer