This panel will delve into the origins of pole in the US and the journey it has taken from its taboo beginnings to Olympic observer status. Industry professionals working directly in the pole fitness industry will go into depth about how their goals have shaped a sport that was once seen as "just for the club". The introduction of international pole competitions and an insurgence of independently owned pole studios has allowed pole dance to morph into pole fitness, overlapping in ways that are still being discovered. The goal of this panel is to dispel the myths of pole fitness as an exclusively exotic geared art-form, and discuss the multiple aspects of pole that range from youth fitness to group performance.