When it came to choosing a career path, these women followed in their mothers’ footsteps
‘MUM TAUGHT ME ALL HER TRICKS’
Megan Christian, 22, from Sittingbourne, Kent, joined the circus like her mum, Beverley, 60.
Growing up, I loved hearing stories about times gone by. My grandad, Chris Christian, ran away to join the circus in the 1950s, aged just 14. He became a well-known ringmaster and fell in love with a dancer – my gran, Wendy. They had my mum, Beverley, who became an aerial acrobat. By the time I was born, in 2001, Mum, then 37, had retired.
She showed me pictures and took me to shows starring my uncles and cousins. It was mesmerising – and I knew I wanted to be part of it.
But it wasn’t until after college that I started working on my own act with a trapeze – a bar that hangs high from the rafters. When Mum offered to train me up, I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. I learned how to hang gracefully and perform stunts. It felt exhilarating.
When I was 17, a family friend, Ernest Santus, offered me a place in the Santus Circus. Doing my act twice a day, 18ft in the air, gave me such a rush. Even though it was dangerous, I always felt comfortable and, thanks to Mum’s training, I executed every move perfectly. Mum came to watch most of my shows and always looked on proudly – it felt like we shared a special bond.
In July 2021, I had a bad accident when I lost my footing while transitioning on the trapeze. Plummeting 18ft to the ground was terrifying. When I came to, Mum was holding my hand as I was stretchered into an ambulance. She’d had her own share of scares, and even suffered blackouts, which had forced her to retire. I feared I’d never walk again, and it felt like she was the only person in the world who knew what I was going through.
Beating the fear
At King’s College Hospital in London, doctors revealed my neck bones had shattered. I had emergency surgery to insert screws, a metal plate and a cage to hold my head in place. It was agony but, gradually, I could hold my head up and put one foot in front of the other. Mum was incredible, nursing me back to health. Within a few weeks, I could walk short distances.
In March 2022, just eight months after my accident, I was ready to perform again. That first show took courage, but as I soared high above the ground, my fears disappeared. Many people might not understand why I still love my job after my death-defying fall. But there’s one woman who will always get it – my No 1 supporter, my mum.
Beverley says ‘Megan’s the third
generation
in our family to perform aerial acrobatics
