Videographer / Director: Tony Barsanti

Producer: Rebecca Lewis, Nick Johnson

Editor: Ian Phillips, Jack Stevens

PRO 14 Balancing act: Eda steps onto the pole and lifts her leg out behind her

The 25-year-old, from Missouri, USA, wows her friends and family with her athletic turns, defying gravity by hauling herself to the top before gracefully spinning down to the floor. Overweight Eda’s rise to the top is remarkable as she has only been dancing for two years – and never did any form of exercise before. The young accountant coordinator has always had issues with her body and went a year without looking in the mirror.

PRO 14 New woman: Eda has dropped 70lbs and gained tons of confidence

She said: “I was in denial about how much weight I had put on and how I looked. “When I walked into the pole dancing studio for the first time I weighed 330lbs and the entire room was covered in mirrors. It was quite a shock.” Brunette Eva has always had issues with her weight - she battled with anorexia for eight years as a teenager and young adult.

PRO 14 One of the girls: Eda has made a number of friends from pole dancing

Her lowest weight was 135lbs and she shunned whole meals. She would eat just a few bites of food and convince herself she was feeling sick and then fill her belly with at least three energy drinks. Feeling alone and depressed, it wasn’t until she met her husband, Terrik, 26, who helped her overcome the disorder.

PRO 14 Eda says she is happier now than ever since starting pole dancing

But instead of eating healthily Eda binged and her lack of exercise meant her weight began to balloon. After five years of fizzy drinks and junk food her weight reached 330lbs. Eda’s confidence plummeted to rock-bottom and she couldn’t stand to see herself in the mirror or a photograph.

PRO 14 Eda during one of her first classes PRO 14 She suffered from anorexia as a teenager

Although Eda’s self-belief was at an all-time low, her husband Terrik tried to make her see why he adored her, constantly telling her that she was beautiful just the way she was. Two years ago Eda decided it was time to make a change. She looked into joining a gym but the medieval-looking torture contraptions and muscly men pumping weights put her off.

PRO 14 Eda whips her hair back as she swings on the pole

She came across the all-women Pink Lemon Studio near St Louis and decided to try pole dancing. Her first experience was nerve-wracking and Eda dreaded the worst. She was surrounded by mirrors that she was too terrified to look into and she felt self-conscious on the pole.

PRO 14 Balancing act: Eda practices her headstand during class

But after a few classes Eda was hooked. Soon Eda was climbing the 11ft pole and twirling gracefully to the bottom and shaking her voluptuous hips. She said: “I was not good when I first started. “I was afraid to take my feet off the ground.

PRO 14 Eda shows off her flexibility on the pole PRO 14 Eda balances in mid using her leg muscles

“It took me a year and three months to climb the pole because I’m afraid of heights.” Eda’s old fear of mirrors disappeared and a pole was installed at home to practice day and night. And as Eda’s talent progressed, the pounds began to fall off her. Eda has shed 65lbs and hopes to lose a further 35lb by the end of this year. She said: “Eventually I’d like to be under 200lbs. I was never built to weigh as much as I do.”

PRO 14 Ta-da! Eda shows off her flexibility by doing the splits

While the pole dancer could see the physical changes her new-found hobby had given her, it was the internal changes that meant most. She said: “I felt more confident and I have friends. The way I dressed changed, I started to care a little bit more about what I was wearing and how I would do my hair. “Before I started pole I wouldn’t wear make-up, I didn’t like to take the time to look after myself. “It’s nice to take the five or ten minutes to take time to make myself a special occasion.” But one of Eda’s biggest accomplishments was performing her routines at a showcase in front of 45 people, including her husband and parents-in-law. Eda’s greatest supporter has been Terrik, who has known Eda for seven years.

PRO 14 Eda is proud of her progress and not afraid to wear skimpy clothes

He said: “Her pole dancing is sexy to me. I know a lot of people don’t like it and a lot of people talk bad about it and frankly I don’t care. “It makes her feel sexy, it makes her feel happy and that’s what I like about it.” In August Eda posted a video to her Facebook page ‘Eda’s Climb To The Top’ showing a three minute routine at her home. Dressed in a skimpy yellow sports bra and pants, Eda threw herself around the pole, shimmied down to the floor and sexily shook her hips for the camera. The video went viral, amassing a massive eight million views in just a few days. Eda was stunned by the attention it received.

PRO 14 Happy couple: Eda with her husband Terrik PRO 14 Eda weighed 330lbs at her largest