Watching someone overcome adversity is definitely inspiring and uplifting. My very good friend Mattison Bedinghaus is a great example of this. No matter the obstacle, Mattison made sure nothing held her back from achieving her goals.

Our friendship starts in 2015, from first messaging her on Facebook, it become obvious very quickly that she wasn’t like any normal dancer on Facebook, Mattison was a kind, considerate, strong minded and determined person and this was the first thing that was apparent when speaking to her. Our friendship continued to flourish over the years since. Mattison joyfully received a parcel from me with a few typical Australian things which was a total surprise to her.

Mattison began ballet at a young age and very quickly set her sights on her goals of being a professional dancer, with guidance from her incredibly knowledgeable mother, Treva, Mattison’s talents, determination and love for ballet became infectious. The joy that Mattison gets from being on stage is wonderful. From leaping across the stage to effortless pirouettes and pointe work, Mattison is an incredible dancer.

Mattison continued to flourish as a dancer but then came a situation that would take everything she had to battle through, Mattison sustained an injury that sidelined her from the studio and stage for almost a year. Throughout this time, she never lost sight on what her ultimate goal was, to sign a contract with a professional ballet company. With encouragement and support from her amazing friends and family, Mattison made a recover and returned to ballet.

As an admirer of her strength and determination, it was a joyous occasion when Mattison fully recovered from her injury and once again put the pointe shoes and tutu back on and stepped back into her domain. Ballet is Mattison’s number one passion, she lives and breathes it, and this is an astonishing quality Mattison has. Nothing ever will get in between her and her goal. Her drive and passion is astounding and is something anyone facing obstacles can look up to.

Mattison recently had the opportunity to sign a contact with Sarasota Ballet in Florida for the 2017/18 season, she had been able to realise her goal of being a ballet dancer. With this accomplishment, the amount of unwavering amount of support for Mattison continued to grow. Her dedication to ballet led to her completing her schooling ahead of time with fantastic results. Ballet flows through her veins and the joy she conveys to anyone watching her is awe inspiring and profound.

It is a pleasure to call Mattison one of my good friends even if she is so far away. She is such a kind, compassionate, courteous and thoughtful person. Watching her continue to grow as a dancer makes me happy and talking to her is a delight. I hope to watch Mattison dance in person one day and no doubt she’ll gracefully own the stage like she always does. Mattison will no doubt continue to grow as a dancer and strive to reach her goals regardless of any setback that may arise. There is nobody more graceful on the stage than Mattison. She always works incredibly hard, never gives up and always continues to improve and amaze people with what she does.