Acrobat leaps into new PR career
As a professional gymnast and acrobat, Vancouver’s Laura-Ann Chong had mastered performing aerial feats in front of an audience. But the global pandemic led her to take a daring leap into a new career—and land successfully, thanks to SFU’s Public Relations program.
Laura-Ann had always had a plan mapped out for her life: she would train as an Olympic gymnast then eventually work in physiotherapy. While she made Team Canada as an alternate for the 2004 Games, she didn’t manage to get into the physiotherapy program of her choice. The roadblock forced her to rethink: “I had to ask myself, is this what I really want to do, or did I just think that because physiotherapy was my only plan for so many years? Maybe there was another path out there that was better suited for me.”
Pivoting, she found a new passion for performing when she joined the internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil. Seven years passed by in a whirlwind as she toured all over the world as an acrobat with the troupe.
During her time with the company, her interest in PR was sparked when she had a chance to intern with some of the Cirque's publicists while on tour and assist with organizing their media events and special appearances, including the British Academy Film and Television Awards in England. “I realized I could really see myself doing this,” she recalls.
When the pandemic shut down performance venues worldwide, Laura-Ann was forced to re-evaluate her career goals yet again.
“I went from living and traveling all around the world, performing in 19 different countries, to being grounded and stuck at home. It was so tough,” she says. “So, when I found SFU’s Public Relations program online, it was a lightbulb moment for me, and I knew I wanted to explore and invest in a career in PR.”
Going back to school many years after finishing university wasn’t an easy decision. But being able to complete the intensive program online in just nine weeks appealed to her. She found the support she received from instructors invaluable, especially from her practicum facilitator, Fawn Mulcahy, a veteran in Vancouver’s PR industry. “I've never had a traditional corporate job before as I'm used to either coaching gymnastics or performing in shows for income. So having Fawn's guidance for not only her PR industry expertise, but the basics of a traditional setting was fantastic and so welcoming,” says Laura-Ann. "It made me believe that I can do this."
After earning her SFU Public Relations Certificate in late 2020, Laura-Ann landed a position as the PR and social audio coordinator with the Vancouver-based PR agency Citizen Relations. Her wanderlust spirit has since led her to a new adventure in the Canadian Rocky Mountains where she’s now the public relations manager for the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.
Putting her new communication skills to work, she also co-founded the Projet Lumière Project, a safe online space for fellow entertainers to access mental health and professional development resources. Because Laura-Ann experienced first-hand the mental toll of being grounded and isolated as a performer, she saw many of her colleagues also in need of support. Her advocacy doesn't stop there, as she is also working towards the improvement for Safe Sport policies and environments for athletes in Canada and currently volunteering as the athletes’ representative for the Women's Technical Committee of Gymnastics BC.
Laura-Ann’s plan for her life may have taken a whole new direction, but she can now look forward to growing in her PR career—and perhaps even getting on stage again soon.
“You’re not a failure for changing what you want to do or become,” she advises anyone considering a different career. “Take time to have self-compassion and realize your passions and plans can change.”
By Bernice Puzon
You can connect with Laura-Ann on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter (@lachong88).