Wow. That was all her friend's e-mail said.

Actress Tan Kheng Hua said she was baffled at first when she saw it on Thursday morning.

Then it occurred to her - the friend was reacting to the photographs of her pole dancing that were published in The Straits Times that day.

One showed her doing a side-split on the pole while the other was a picture of her upside down on the pole.

Madam Tan has taken up pole dancing to raise money for charity. She started her practice sessions about a month ago and trains once or twice a week for an hour each time.

She is going to battle actor Hossan Leong and actress Irene Ang in a friendly pole competition to raise funds for their chosen charity.

Called the Celebrity Pole-Off, it is organised by pole dancing school Bobbi's Pole Studio.

The Grand Finale will be held on March 24 at Avalon Singapore.

She has chosen to help Arc Children's Centre, a charity day centre for children with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses.

Reaction has been positive so far, with her friends being supportive and encouraging, she said.

Her 75-year-old mother, with whom the actress is living while her place is being renovated, initially thought pole dancing was vulgar.

"But she changed her mind when I told her about my practice sessions, what I found difficult and when she saw the videos of my training.

"She gained an insight into the craft," she added.

Meanwhile, her husband, actor Lim Yu- Beng, is supportive yet nonchalant.

She said: "I show Yu-Beng videos of my pole-dance practice. He's one of those people who are very well-versed with the physical mechanics of the body.

"So I'd ask him questions like why I can't get my body higher and he'd know how to suggest ways in which to do so because he knows how."

While people close to her weren't too surprised at her pole dancing, some members of the public have been wowed.

She said: "Judging from some messages on Facebook, some members of the public are surprised. Or maybe, they are surprised because I'm 49."

Picking up the sport is not a piece of cake for the mother of one. She has a 14-year-old daughter.

She said: "Pole dancing is very challenging as a physical activity.

Because of my background in sports, it's not overwhelming, but challenging nonetheless. It's a wonderful, all-round physical activity."

When she was asked if she minded people ogling at her body, she said: "I can't control how people react to the photograph. And what I can't control, I try not to spend too much time thinking about.

"I try to focus on the things I can control, like how to work hard and learn the craft of pole dancing better so that it'll urge people to donate more money, which is the main reason why I took on this endeavour in the first place!

"Also, my character is such that, by the time I say yes to doing something, chances are, I'll try hard to do it well. Life is short. Fill it with things that matter."

To her, it is a way to celebrate her body, where celebrating means "finding ways to do things with your body that you have never done before".

She said: "Your body is not there just for looking good. It is an intricate piece of machinery. There are so many ways to celebrate that."

Her secret to an enviable body? Play hard, eat a lot and have fun. She said: "Doing something physical is tied to having a good time. My dive trips... my ski trip next week. It's not about losing weight." After pole dancing, what's next?

Maybe skydiving.

"For just once in my life, I want to feel what's it is like to look at everything from up there," she said.

To watch her progress with pole dancing and to donate, visit www.bobbispolestudio.com.sg/2012/02/celebpoleof

[email protected]

This article was first published in The New Paper.