"Aerial is a sport of silk burns (abrasions due to the fabric rubbing against the skin), blood clots and sheer will. The most challenging elements — drops, catches, inversions — demand immense control and come with inherent risk. Injuries are not rare. I performed my compilation piece with a full silk burn down my leg. Pain, sometimes, is part of the climb,” stated Penaz Mithuji who recently won the first prize at the Maharashtra State Pole and Aerial Sport Championship 2025 held on June 1 in the 25+ adult competitive category in aerial silks. In this sport, a competitor performs acrobatic routines while suspended from long pieces of fabric called aerial silks. Using this prop, participants display a combination of strength, artistry, grace and flexibility while executing a variety of climbs, wraps, drops and poses.
Top: Penaz Mithuji participating in the aerial silks event (above)
Participants spanned all age groups, "from as young as four years in non-competitive segments to 30+ in the competitive categories,” mentioned Mithuji in response to queries from Parsiana. The event in Bombay, held at Studio 6262, was organized by Airbound Academy under the aegis of the Pole and Aerial Sports Association Maharashtra which is affiliated to the Indian Pole Sports Association.
"I first discovered aerial sport at TRF Space in Prabhadevi, where I’d gone for strength and gymnastics training. The silk hanging in the corner always called out to me. One trial class was all it took. I’ve never looked back,” revealed Mithuji who commenced training in November 2023. "It’s a disciplined passion. I love every hour spent on the silk. In the lead-up to the championship, I was clocking 10 to 12 hours of training each week — a mix of endurance, technique and conditioning — under dedicated coaches at TRF Space, a studio that has become a second home,” she noted.
Born in Bombay, to Percy, retired vice president, Asset Recovery at Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Nazneen Mithuji, head of Human Relations at Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, Penaz studied at the Bombay Cambridge School and Jai Hind College. Her sister Arnaz is a baker. More than religion, Penaz finds "meaning, direction and connection through other avenues.”
Attributing her success to her "relentless practice, my coaches who shaped me, and my cheerleaders who never let me forget why I started,” the aerialist stated, "I’m training harder than ever” to participate in the nationals.