Shelli Epstein is a former gymnast, acrobat, Cirque du Soleil artist, personal trainer, performance coach, life coach, author and motivational speaker. She began her circus career at age 18, landing her first gig in Macau’s famous House of Dancing Water show. She has since toured the world, flipping, diving, and flying on a Cirque du Soleil show. Shelli recently released her first book, “Flying High: Life lessons from the Big Top”, a memoir that details her life as a circus artist and the wisdom she’s gained through life in the spotlight.

Kate Molenaar is a 22 year-old synchronized swimmer who has competed on the club and collegiate levels for 12 years. Kate began college at Colorado State University in 2018, where she was a member of CSU’s synchro team for all 4 years. In this feature article, Kate shares the highlights of her synchro career, challenges and psychological pressures faced along the way, and lessons gleaned from her life spent underwater.