How a $5 Jump Rope Changed Lizzie’s Life (and Sparked a Fitness Revolution)

Dizzy Skips (01:13)
Liz, @skipping.lizard, I’m so happy that you’re here. So nice to have you on the Jump Rope Podcast. I was saying before we started that this is episode one of season two and I figured that we got 42 episodes out of season one. And as a fan of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is the answer to the life, the universe and everything. So it felt like a natural place to stop. And also

Liz (01:19)
Thank you.

Dizzy Skips (01:36)
I moved out of my house into a new place. And so there was a lot of change, but I’m so glad to be back and so glad you’re joining me.

Liz (01:43)
Thank you very much. I the new backdrop of your new place looks great as well, so that’s nice vibes.

Dizzy Skips (01:48)
Thank you so much. Yeah, I love the red brick and it stretches throughout the apartment. It’s kind of a long, thin apartment. And so the red brick stretches throughout and I just like the warm vibe. It’s a really old building. It’s like 1867 or something like that. I can’t remember the exact date of construction, but it’s been a lot of things, including, think a dance studio and a seamstress place and all sorts of stuff.

Liz (01:59)
Love it.

Well, that sounds good for

you. can do your skipping and your flowing and your dancing inside.

Dizzy Skips (02:15)
I know, right? And I’ve got windows right here that look out on Main Street, which is Highway 61, which I’ve mentioned before on the podcast, Highway 61. If you’re a Bob Dylan fan, Highway 61 Revisited is one of his albums and he used to live in the area. And so I live on Highway 61 now, yeah.

Liz (02:32)
⁓ Amazing.

Love that. Love it.

Dizzy Skips (02:35)
Yeah. So you just had your one year skipaversary.

Liz (02:39)
I did, I’m a big go now, I’m one.

Dizzy Skips (02:42)
You’re a big girl now. That’s so fun. I mean, honestly, it is, I think I’ve followed you since shortly after you joined Instagram and it has been amazing to watch your progress. It’s been, I love your recap reel. I commented on it earlier, but like, I love those, like where it started and where it is now and like the change is amazing. You’ve done amazing.

Liz (02:44)
I made it.

Yes.

It is, even for myself, because I obviously know that I have changed, but then going back to those old videos and being like, my goodness, I have changed, like seeing it side by side with that second skip instead of the year skip. Yeah, you look back and go, holy smokes, look what I have achieved.

Dizzy Skips (03:18)
Right.

Yeah, aside from the changes in your body, because I think you mentioned on that recap reel, you’ve lost like 10 kilos or more.

Liz (03:29)
Yeah,

over 10 kilos, yeah, which is nuts.

Dizzy Skips (03:31)
That’s,

yeah, that’s amazing. Good for you. But aside from that, what other things do you notice when you look back at those old reels and your skipping?

Liz (03:34)
Thank you.

Self-confidence, think is a big one. Like I can see how I presented myself and you can see me like shaking my head or knowing, you did that silly or whatnot, but yeah, feeling better about myself. I think I said in the real as well, like my coordination and memory is slowly coming back. Like I feel it’s one of the things pregnancy and being a mother drains you of those sorts of qualities. So they’re starting to come back, which is nice.

There’s so many positives, it’s great.

Dizzy Skips (04:10)
So that’s interesting. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone verbalize that. you, Pregnancy inhibited your coordination and memory?

Liz (04:19)
Well definitely my memory. My eldest Holly, she always says, I’ve stolen your memory, mum, and that you absolutely have. And so that’s what I’ve even said to friends, like when I’m learning some of these, the jump rope combos and like I have to build up my steps, but knowing that I can remember them, like that itself makes me feel proud that I can do that again. ⁓ So yeah.

Dizzy Skips (04:35)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah, that confidence, like I think, you know, some of that confidence comes from just spinning the rope over and over again and like learning how it works, you know, like just the repetition helps so much. And one of the things that I really love about you and your skipping is your sense of humor and like you like me laugh it off so much. I mean, I’ve seen you get frustrated. You’ve got a few reels where you get…

Liz (04:51)
Yeah.

There’s a few frustrated

ones.

Dizzy Skips (05:03)
Yeah,

but in general, like you laugh it off and you’re in it for the joy and the fun and it comes through clearly in your videos.

Liz (05:11)
Thank you. means a lot. No, it does. It is a lot of fun out there I mean sometimes I know we all when we trying to get that one trick or we keep getting whipped that yeah this I’ve thrown the rope and I’ve done I know you’ve sent a video showed the video of you throwing the rope like “sorry, rope” but No, but for the large large percentage of it 99.9 percent. It is joy and laughter and fun

Dizzy Skips (05:25)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, you know, I was out at the park yesterday and I did kind of throw the rope. I was trying to do this combo and I was trying to speed it up and get really fast and stuff. And I just whacked myself so hard and I threw the rope down and I flipped it off and I immediately picked it up and kissed it. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it. It’s me, not you. It’s me, not you. Yeah.

Liz (05:52)
I’m so sorry.

Yeah. But no,

some of those do make my reels and my stories, but sometimes I just send it to my real life friends here, like, who I’ve grown up with, and I’ll be like, oh, look at this one. I just find it amusing seeing me get grumpy at the rope, because even one of my friends who I used to work with, I went and don’t, this is a very off topic, went and donated blood, and I found out my

Dizzy Skips (06:11)
Yeah.

Liz (06:19)
blood type is be positive and she goes, of course yours is even your blood is saying be positive. it’s very Liz is the happy one. ⁓

Dizzy Skips (06:25)
That is amazing. Yeah, that

is so cool. Be positive. Yeah, your blood type is a sentence and it’s an encouraging sentence, right? That’s awesome. So I’m curious, like you’re a mom. I mean, that comes through in your, and you’ve got two daughters, I believe, right?

Liz (06:30)
Yeah.

Yeah, it’s my life motto, be positive.

I am.

have two here and one in heaven. So I have my three girls, but yes.

Dizzy Skips (06:51)
Right?

So they are hilarious. And I have a mental picture of your daughter with the pigtail on the top of her head, just tottering toward the, I know little miss Hannah, I feel like she must wake up and then maybe like get a diaper change or something like that, a little bit to eat and then.

Liz (06:58)
Little Miss Hannah, yes. ⁓

Dizzy Skips (07:08)
her iPhone radar goes off and she’s looking for that phone. Like there are so many of your videos where she’s just like a happy little sun, toddling toward the phone. It’s hilarious.

Liz (07:15)
Yeah. No, I think I’ve done two

of those reels now of just, yeah, her little clips of, yeah, she’s just playing, playing, spots it and then beeline straight for it. like, no, I’m in the middle of a combo and I nearly had it. But I’m like, you’re too cute. All right. But that’s part of it.

Dizzy Skips (07:29)
Yeah. So it may, so you

must use like the selfie camera so she can see herself. that one of the draws is that she sees herself in there?

Liz (07:35)
Yes.

Yes, and I thought you might

bring that up and say no, you need to switch it around to the other side. It works.

Dizzy Skips (07:43)
I mean, you don’t have to. And

yeah, exactly. And it’s so much easier to be able to see yourself and get reference as long as you get good video quality. I think for me, the reason I spin it around oftentimes is just on my phone, the front camera is so much better. But the sacrifice is you kind of have to set up the shot and know where you can be. And I can…

Liz (08:07)
Yeah, and that even before

I had my stand, the tripod that my hubby got me, now I’m a professional. And that’s it, you’d set it up and I’d go and think that I’d caught myself and no, it’s just my legs in the shot. Cool, do that again.

Dizzy Skips (08:19)
Yeah, I know.

I know, I’ve done that too. And this suckiest times are when you’re so proud of what you’ve done. Like I’ve had those times where I’ve gone out and I’ve been on the dock and I’ve been like, man, I had so much fun to that song. And then realized that, you know, I recorded 15 minutes, like eight minutes of which I’m completely out of frame and four minutes of which you can see like half of my torso and me like nodding my head to the music or whatever.

Liz (08:38)
Yeah.

Or it’s the same way you accidentally do like the double click on record so you start recording for a second and then stop and then yeah, realize that cool.

Dizzy Skips (08:49)
Yeah.

Yeah, like, wait, why do I have all these one second

recordings? Yeah. I did it the other day where after I was done, I stuck the phone in my pocket and it must, as I was walking, it must have started recording and stopped recording because I had like 30 little videos that were one second long from the view inside my pocket, which was useless. So when…

Liz (08:56)
Yep.

Dizzy Skips (09:14)
I’m curious, so you started in September of 2024, right? Why? Like, why did you start? What got you started?

Liz (09:19)
Correct, yes.

think it was just feeling, like knowing that I was a bit overweight and sluggish and I was like, how? I couldn’t go to classes with the kids. It just wasn’t gonna work. And then my hubby is like, I’ve got a skipping rope at the shed. Do want me to bring that home for you to try? I was like, yeah, cool, why not? Why not? He probably brought that maybe middle of the year. And each day I was like, yeah, okay, I’ll skip tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow. And then even I said to my girlfriend, right.

Dizzy Skips (09:45)
Mm-hmm.

Liz (09:49)
Tomorrow, actually tomorrow I’m going to skip and then send her a video with me like, I did it, I skipped today, woohoo! And I was like, and I actually liked it. So, yeah, so that, it opened up a whole new world, being able to just skip and exercise in those little moments of time between that time or whenever that I could just go out for a few minutes, jump, and then I quickly realized how unfit I was and.

Dizzy Skips (09:57)
Yeah.

Liz (10:13)
a few minutes was enough exercise to get me sweaty and my heart going. I was like, okay, that’s enough for today. So yeah, it started from my hubby bringing me home a rope and going use this. And no, it has, it’s been amazing. He actually joked the other day because he’s, I’ve always said I wanted to find my thing. Like he’s got so many different hobbies. Like gaming is one of his, this is his headset and he’s got wrestling, like the sport. Like he’s got so many different things. And I always said to him, I’m like, I wish I had.

Dizzy Skips (10:18)
Right.

That’s so cool.

Yeah, I was wondering about that.

Liz (10:42)
Like I like stuff, but I want my thing. And he joked to the other day when we were sort of packing up some stuff and he found like all the art easels that he bought me and all the different things. And he goes, I’ve tried so many things to find your thing. And it was a $5 skipping rope that opened your world up. And I’m like, so.

Dizzy Skips (10:44)
Right.

Right.

Yeah, it is a very

budget friendly hobby, right?

Liz (11:03)
So good, so good. But yeah, the collection has now grown from one skipping rope to a few more. As it does. I think we all understand that.

Dizzy Skips (11:04)
Yeah.

I totally understand. Yeah, as it does. Yeah, yeah. So

what is, you’ve got one around your neck there. Is that a staple rope for you?

Liz (11:18)
Yes, this is one of my ones. I actually won this one and so I got a beaded and a PVC from Ghadi. He did a Instagram competition and I entered it and won and actually he sent two. I thought I was just winning one and then I got two in the mail. I was like, heck yeah. So yeah, these have become, I really like it. It’s getting, well you can see it’s got all the bits of warning worn away. It’s my go-to at the moment.

Dizzy Skips (11:26)
Yeah. Nice. Yeah.

Nice. That’s awesome. How do you like it?

Sure.

Yeah, nice weight to it, isn’t it?

Liz (11:45)
⁓ I’m much more of a beaded. Yeah,

it’s and then I didn’t even realize how different beaded ropes can be like I’ve got this one and then I’ve got my To you know, I was like, these are different sizes. Like it’s there’s a lot of variation in the jump ropes isn’t there?

Dizzy Skips (11:53)
Two inch beads.

Yeah.

Yeah, there are. they all have a little different feeling. you know, the two inch beads, I’d say in general, it’s, you have to, the difference between two inch beads and one inch beads is slight. You know, I think Ghadi says that it makes it a little more rigid or maybe gives you a little more feedback. And that might be true. ⁓

Liz (12:20)
Yeah, no,

I definitely enjoy it. then, but sometimes if I’m trying to do a trick or and it’s not working, I’m like, it’s the rope and change it to a different rope. I’m like, no, it’s me. It’s not the rope. Well, it’s a bit of both.

Dizzy Skips (12:29)
Yeah. Yeah. I like

to blame it on the rope too sometimes. Yeah.

Liz (12:34)
Yep,

so…

Dizzy Skips (12:36)
So, once you got started, did you seek out help right away? Or were you just like, hey, I’m gonna grab this rope and go jump like I did when I was in elementary school?

Liz (12:45)
think that it started off just as basic in the fitness. Like I didn’t even realize that there was this whole community out there and all the tricks that go with it. And yes, I just thought, yeah, fitness, let’s go. Started the account as more of like a diary and a visual thing to go back on and see. And then that’s when it sort of opened up that there were all these other skipping accounts and these amazing men and women and all their skills. So I sort of started, I’ll follow 10 or so, which that’s now up to 500 people that I follow.

Dizzy Skips (12:55)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Liz (13:15)
Yeah, it just blew my mind and seeing all that. I know a lot of people said that during COVID they stumbled across Lauren Jumps and etc. Whereas I didn’t, I was obviously a lot late to the game and found everyone in the last year or so. So no, it’s just, it’s amazing. So yeah, sort of just slowly started building skills. And then I think it was

Dizzy Skips (13:22)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Me too.

Liz (13:38)
Well, because I started off, I was like, I’ll just stay private, no one can see me. And I think you were actually the first person to request a friendship or follow and I let you in. And then I was like, no, I can’t, I actually deleted you. I don’t know if you remember or not. then I, I was like, no, no, I can’t have anyone. is too, no, no, Who’s this Dizzy guy? And then obviously following the few accounts I could see in the comments, people were like, oh, do this. Oh, you’re doing so great. Like all this positivity. And I was like, I want that.

Dizzy Skips (13:52)
This creepy guy.

Liz (14:03)
And I was like, we’ve got to let people in if you want that. So I remember messaging, like, I deleted you, but you can add me back again. ⁓ And then I think Laura was one of the first ones to message. She started following and let me know about Peta’s Jump for Joy 100. ⁓ @skipping_the_midlifecrisis. Yep, she commented and she says, come join our group. I think the first one Peta did, was maybe 25 women in it. And I was like, perfect, that sounds exactly what I need.

Dizzy Skips (14:04)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, Laura skipping the midlife crisis.

Yeah.

Liz (14:31)
And I think I started on like day 47 or something. But it was great. It was a good little intro. I met some of those women and yeah, it started to open my world up to the possibilities of this amazing group.

Dizzy Skips (14:34)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. And that was the Jump for Joy 100. So you did that, you must have done that before I did it, which was the last go-around, right?

Liz (14:46)
Correct, yes.

Yeah, so I did

Peta’s first one when there was just a few, a few women in there. And then obviously her second round. It was hectic. It was, I kind of said it was a bit too much. Like some of the group chats, obviously with our time difference as well, a lot of people are on the other side of the world. So I’d wake up and look at my phone and I’m like, my God, that’s too much chat to look at at the moment. So it was amazing. Yeah, so, but she…

Dizzy Skips (14:55)
Yeah, the last one was like 125 people or something. There was a, yeah.

I know there’s like 36 messages waiting for you, right?

Liz (15:17)
just she is a little pocket rocket. She worked her butt off to get that going and the website and the shirts like she is good.

Dizzy Skips (15:22)
Yeah.

Yeah, I love Peta.

Yeah. And it’s so inspirational. It’s so cool to see people come in at all different skill levels and doing different stuff. I mean, that’s one of the things I love about the jump rope community in general is that there’s people who are all about like the technical combo tricks, you know, and they do like five to 15 seconds of some really seriously cool combo. And then there’s people who just flow and there’s people who are in it just for the fitness and it’s like all boxer skip.

Liz (15:46)
Yeah.

Dizzy Skips (15:52)
And all of it is wonderful. Like I’m there for all of it. Right. Yeah. Yeah. So, how have you been learning? Once you got past the, I’m just doing this for fitness. Were you just watching people on Instagram and trying to mimic them? Or did you seek out

Liz (15:54)
Yeah, we’re one big box of licorice all sorts.

Mostly watching and mimicking and then I figured out how you could actually download a video so I could watch it back slower and scan and do that and see that’s where their hands go. And then obviously finding different accounts like @nate_kg and his tutorials are just what he puts out for free is fantastic. And just the different, yeah, there’s a few and @kathyjumps she’s another one like her free videos are just, it’s amazing. You know I’ve learnt a lot from just watching.

Dizzy Skips (16:16)
Mm-hmm.

I know.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Coach Nate KG, like he’s got NateFlix and that’s like 500 videos of different combos and stuff like that. And he’s told me that like people say he’s too wordy, like he there’s too much talk or whatever, but I just think they’re fantastic. Like the way he illustrates things, Kathy too, like she’s just

Liz (16:55)
Yeah.

Dizzy Skips (16:56)
magic with a jump rope. Like she’s just all positivity all the time and super fun. Yeah.

Liz (17:01)
It’s amazing

and that’s why I feel the more I watch and some people would do or say things differently and I feel it’s like little pieces of puzzle that I like get from everyone and then try and see what works and like I think might have even been Sarah, I saw it @strongerwithsare said something on one of her interviews about where she puts her hand for the the mic and treating it like a clock and I was like oh yeah and then so I tried I was like yes that helped like everything that’s building blocks so I love it comes from everywhere.

Dizzy Skips (17:11)
Right.

Right? Yeah, totally. Yeah, totally.

I think about that all the time because Coach Nate helped me with release stuff when I say he helped me watching one of his videos and the way he explained things helped me. And then I watched a video from Coach Kathy and hers was on the release and she, as she’s coming around, she’s like, you have to give the handle a little dipperoo and like push forward, just a little dipperoo and she’s so cute in the way she says dipperoo. So now I think I know, right? And when I, when I write exactly, and every time I goof it up, I was like, you didn’t do the dipperoo. Dizzy, do the dipperoo. Yeah. So, so talk about like, what does a jump rope session look like for you? Like how many times a week are you jumping and for how long?

Liz (17:51)
But that’ll stick in your head and you’re like, yeah, do my dipperoo. Like, it’s all little puzzle pieces. ⁓

Always do the dipperoo.

it is honestly so there’s no rhyme or reason to it. It’s whatever I can get in. I was actually saying to my friends before as I off like with the podcast interviewers, I haven’t actually jumped much the last two months at all. I feel like a jump rope fraud, but I it is what that’s life, isn’t it? ⁓ So, yeah, usually I try and just when if the girls are playing, I’d have my rope out in the front courtyard and.

Dizzy Skips (18:18)
Random.

Yeah.

Liz (18:39)
do five minutes if Hannah was sleeping, could, maybe Holly wanted to have some quiet time, I could get out for 20 minutes, half an hour and just actually focus. So yeah, it depend. If the girls were there, it was just very light, how to do what I can do, of walk around them as they just play. ⁓ But then sometimes I was just doing it at nighttime, so I knew everything was done. I could just go outside and focus and do what I wanted to do without any interruptions. So it’s a mixed bag of what my skip sessions look like.

Dizzy Skips (18:47)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Sure, yeah. Well, I have such respect for you, just like fitting it in when you can. Like I have it so easy in that I have a dog as far as responsibilities go, you know. Yeah, actually I took her out skipping since we’ve moved to this new place. She’s got a little separation anxiety. And so the first night I was here, I went out for a little bit. And when I came back, I could hear her barking in the apartment as I was in the hallway. I was like, my gosh. And so,

Liz (19:16)
And Zuzu runs away.

Dizzy Skips (19:35)
I’ve been taking her more places with me and I took her skipping this afternoon, sent you a picture. Yeah, where I clipped her onto a post and she just kind of sniffed around the grass and I did my skipping and she seemed to have fun with it. I want that to be the case because I don’t want her to be, know, anxious or anything like that. And she’s a cool traveling companion, but anyway.

Liz (19:40)
Yes.

Well, she’s a bit little to be a little pack horse of all your ropes. You can’t saddle her up or get a little cart on her.

Dizzy Skips (20:02)
Yeah, do have a few outfits for her. Maybe I can sew a little rope holster on there for her so she could be, I already call her the sheriff. She has to be in charge and know where everything, know, yeah, exactly. Yeah, if she grew a thumb and could use a jump rope, I would be in trouble. So,

Liz (20:12)
You can have her lasso.

That’s a moneymaker.

Dizzy Skips (20:23)
So in those times when you have a half hour or like kids are down, you’ve got a half hour, you’ve got an hour to yourself or whatever. What is your ideal jump rope session look like? Do you warm up a bit? And if so, what does that look like?

Liz (20:38)
Not so much. feel my warm up is running around after the kids, so I sort of already feel like I’m on the go. So I might do a little just basic bounces just to sort of get loose and ready. ⁓ But usually now that I’m part of the Saturday Song Squad, so if I’ve got whatever skill that week is, that’s sort what I will focus on if I’ve got the time with no interruptions. I’m like, right, let’s bust this out. So yeah,

Dizzy Skips (20:44)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

who don’t know, the Saturday Song Squad. It’s a group of people on Instagram, right? And you guys have, somebody picks a song for the week and you all skip to it, is that right?

Liz (21:12)
There’s a song and then there’s a skill as well. So it’s not compulsory to do the skill, but I feel that’s a good thing for me anyway. And that’s, joined it after Peta’s first lot of the Jump for Joy finish. And I was sort of feeling a bit lost and plateaued like, like what direction do I do? And she was a part of the Saturday song and she goes, well, what about coming here? And then that can be like a skill a week, sort of something to focus and work towards. I thought that sounds perfect. And so for me it is, it’s great.

Dizzy Skips (21:15)
Okay.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Liz (21:39)
So yeah, we’ve got, there’s a spreadsheet, it’s all very technical, not really, it’s all fun. And we take, it’s probably terribly organized. I shouldn’t say that Laura, Laura is the organizer, but we’re always like, who’s turn next? Like we’ve got to pick out our skill and so we’ve got maybe five days usually. We’re meant to be a bit more organized and put our skills into the spreadsheet, but I think I’m up in two weeks and I’ve got no clue, so I’m just as bad. ⁓

Dizzy Skips (21:43)
Very organized.

So when

you, so I’m curious, like when you put a skill in, it like double under and then everybody does their own combo but includes a double under? or is, okay.

Liz (22:11)
Includes it. Yeah. So

and even it might not even be a trick. It might be like do something backwards like one of the skills last time was half forward half backwards or move around. Just don’t stay in one spot or yeah, it doesn’t necessarily. Well, you saw my Wounded Duck. That was my moving around the screen. It’s glamorous, isn’t it?

Dizzy Skips (22:24)
Right. How do you do that?

it made me laugh so hard. I love it. Yeah.

When I saw on the Fancy Feats app, I saw Lauren do the Wounded Duck. And so then I had to learn it and it just makes me laugh every time.

Liz (22:43)
The first time I learnt about it was someone had commented saying, and I saw it somewhere, was like the Wounded Duck. I was like, what is a Wounded Duck? I’m like, that’s a Wounded Duck.

Dizzy Skips (22:50)
Yeah, yeah,

it’s amazing. It’s an amazing move.

Liz (22:55)
Yeah, so but no, the Saturday Song Squad, that’s a great group. I think there might be 26 or so people in that at the moment and we’re all around the world as well and everyone’s so great. We find a skill and then we all can search and find tutorials of how about we try this or try this or and same thing. It’s a good little group.

Dizzy Skips (23:02)
Mm-hmm.

So

everybody ends up with something different. It’s not necessarily an entire combo, but it’s, yeah.

Liz (23:17)
No, not at all. Sometimes people

suggest combos, but it’s, no, you just free-for-all do what you want. Try and work that trick in somewhere along the line and hope for the best.

Dizzy Skips (23:24)
Yeah.

Yeah.

So going back to gear stuff, how often do you jump with beaded versus PVC?

Liz (23:34)
I’d say beaded maybe 80 % of the time. I much prefer the beaded, especially for tricks and things and when I’m learning just that bit more control and slow. But then if I’m just bouncing up and down, I’ll grab the PVC out.

Dizzy Skips (23:48)
Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Do you feel like you?

Liz (23:49)
time.

I’ve got some, a leather

and a rope one as well that I’ve got all sorts.

Dizzy Skips (23:56)
Yeah, like one of those

1970s ones with the wood handles and the leather strap?

Liz (24:00)
It’s a car I’ve got where the I think it was was it @doc.jumps was saying about her her leather one that she had the other day and I was like I’m pretty sure I’ve got one like that and it’s it is it’s like plastic like the label stickers I’ve sticky taped those back on and yeah even the wood handle and the rope one so I’ve got they’re good they’re ones I use if it’s at night time and I want to be inside when the girls are sleeping because it’s a lot quieter so I can just rather than

Dizzy Skips (24:06)
Yeah, there’s like a plastic package.

haha

Yeah. Nice.

Yeah.

The one that you have with the wood handles is the rope really light?

Liz (24:30)
That’s so light, so light. And that’s weird when I go back and try to use my beaded or go from beaded to this one and I’m like just tripping. like, what? I’m like, wow. The weight does really make a difference. And I didn’t realize that till going back and forth between those different ropes.

Dizzy Skips (24:32)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, the way it makes such

a difference. feel like such a goofball with those really light ones. Like I trip all the time. It’s just not enough feedback for me.

Liz (24:51)
Yep.

No, it took her a few minutes to sort of get used to it again.

Dizzy Skips (24:56)
Yeah. So are you still using free resources to learn or have you done any coaching stuff?

Liz (25:03)
I haven’t, I like the idea of it. I think I was speaking to Peta, I think about maybe doing the Fancy Feats app and paying for the subscription for things. But I think right now while the girls are still not at school and I don’t think I’d get as much out of it as I want to, kind of like the price. But I think my eldest is at school next year. So I was like, oh, maybe next year that’ll be when I start upping it and yeah, getting a bit more direction.

Dizzy Skips (25:12)
Mm-hmm.

Sure.

Yeah.

Yeah. I know the first, so when I got the Fancy Feats app I got it on, like a Black Friday sale when Black Friday is not that far away. So I would watch like, watch the Fancy Feats and watch Tricktionary+ and you know, those kinds of apps for, Black Friday and see if they come up with cool deals.

Liz (25:33)
you

That’s what I was sort waiting out for the end of the year.

Yeah.

Yeah, no, that’s definitely what I’m looking out for. Cheeky.

Dizzy Skips (25:54)
Yeah,

one of the things I love about both apps and apps like it are just the example, like the clear examples they have of the trick. And then also the Here’s what people do wrong oftentimes, know? Like Kathy has a subscription as well on Instagram, Coach Kathy does, and I am part of that. And she’s got the same thing, you

Liz (26:07)
Yes.

Dizzy Skips (26:16)
Here’s the shuffle that you’re trying to do and here’s what you’re gonna wanna do with your hands, but here’s what you need to do in order to pull it. Yeah, right, exactly.

Liz (26:21)
Here’s why you’re stuffing it up.

No, I think that’s great. That’s a piece of the puzzle. What are you doing wrong? Don’t do something you can understand it. feel if you’re just saying this is how you do it. that’s all well and good. yeah, having the, don’t do this, I think is a critical part to the learning as well.

Dizzy Skips (26:30)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Do you spend a lot of time like watching or a lot of time you’re a mom who has a bunch of responsibilities, but do you spend time watching the video of yourself aside from the stuff that you post to Instagram to kind of analyze what you’re doing?

Liz (26:50)
Yeah, if I’m not getting something then I will and just like slowly play back and see what I’m, what I can, if I can tell what I’m doing wrong. And generally I can, I’m like, you need to have your wrist pointing this way or hold that a second longer or do this. So it does, definitely filming helps. Yes, yeah, being able to go watch your own self and what you’re doing wrong, definitely.

Dizzy Skips (27:04)
Yep.

Yeah.

Yeah. I find it invaluable. You know, I’ve had people say, like your reels should be like 15 seconds or less if you want maximum engagement and all that sort of stuff. And, know, I just do my thing and I have fun or whatever and post my reels, but, but there are

Liz (27:24)
That’s it.

I feel that’s

more for like business and stuff like with this and you know that we’re all we love the jump we want to see what everyone does like sometimes it’ll be my ones are sometimes a full minute and a half I’m like I don’t care like if people are watching if they want to like I’m doing it.

Dizzy Skips (27:35)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah. And

it’s really a marker of progress. Like I go back and look at the stuff that I did a year ago and, you know, in some ways I’m like, wow, I was actually, you know, showing up and trying and doing okay, you know, like I’m okay with what I did, but I can see the improvements or how things have tightened up a little bit and also see all the opportunities for more improvement.

Liz (28:04)
Yeah, absolutely.

No, it’s good being able to go back and say like my hubby sometimes jokes if I’m there like sitting out filming goes, it didn’t happen if you didn’t film it, like Instagram and like, shut up. It’s more for me to just look back as well like just that to see what’s going on. But I feel that is a big thing that probably this year coming, I feel finding the balance between the jump roping and then also just the Instagram even the editing like sometimes I found I was spending more time editing a reel than the skipping part of it. And I was like, that’s that’s not what

Dizzy Skips (28:12)
Hahaha!

Yeah.

Liz (28:32)
I started and doing this for. yeah, trying to find that balance is, and even just the, the commenting and going through, like it’s a, can become a full-time job. I’m sure you know as well with how much you’re interact with people, like it can take up a lot of time.

Dizzy Skips (28:34)
Yeah.

Yeah, you can definitely lose lots of hours in participating in the community. And it’s, it’s a blessing, you know, like I love being able to encourage people cause I’ve got so much encouragement from people as well. But, but yeah, there are times it’s like where, you know, life happens, like you’re a mom, you’ve got stuff to take care of and like, you just can’t spend all day on Instagram. And I, there are times where I definitely spend too much time, know, like

got things to take care of as well. But definitely with like selling the house and moving, there have been times where I just, I’ve had enough time sometimes to skip and then film it and then post and then respond to some comments. But even then I’m slow and I feel guilty. Like I’m not contributing to the community what I should be, but.

Liz (29:31)
We all know you’re there. We’re all here. It’s a great community. It’s in a fabulous community. It’s blown my mind, the Jump Rope Community, and how positive and supportive it is. It’s just nuts. It’s great.

Dizzy Skips (29:35)
If

Yeah.

Yeah, it’s amazing. It is just the place to be as far as I’m concerned.

Liz (29:47)
I agree with you there. And I’ve made some wonderful friends and it’s like even with Peta, like we’re talking to her like non jump rope stuff and they’re saying like, the girls aren’t going to sleep. It’s like nine o’clock. I want them to go to sleep. And she’ll send a little video going, girls, Aunty Peta says it’s time to go to sleep now. And I’m like, yeah, listen to Aunty Peta, go to sleep. So no, it’s forming great friendships and yeah.

Dizzy Skips (29:56)
Mm-hmm.

Right. That’s so amazing.

Yeah.

Yeah. Peta has been very encouraging of me and my downsizing because that house that, you know, I was in, it’s a five bedroom house with an office and like, it’s just huge, you know, way too big for just me and a dog. And she and her husband went through a downsizing and she was talking to me about how, you know, it’s a lot of work, but you’re going to feel so much lighter at the end of it. And, and so she’s been checking in on me and giving me encouragement as well, which I.

Liz (30:23)
Yeah.

Absolutely.

Dizzy Skips (30:40)
appreciate.

Liz (30:41)
No, and that’s it. everyone, feel even if you stop posting and you’ve got the people that are checking, like, are you okay? Or if they can tell by what you’ve written or if you post a particular story or something. And yeah, I feel same as in life where there’s so many people, but I feel even in the Jump Rope Community, you get your call, your group. So it’s a whole new family.

Dizzy Skips (30:48)
Nah.

Yeah.

Yeah. I’ve had a few times, I don’t know if this has happened to you recently, where I’ve been like driving the car or in the shower, not looking at Instagram, just, you know, my brain’s just cranking away on stuff and my God, I haven’t seen that person for so long. Like have they not posted something or did the algorithm change and I’m just not seeing their videos and like maybe I I need to search them out and comment because I’m worried about them.

Liz (31:25)
Yep, no, it is like that. And that’s, feel my algorithm with me not posting as much lately, I feel I’ve slipped to the bottom of a lot of people’s viewing count, which is fine, but it’s just the way it goes sometimes. But yeah, I think the special ones, know, you know, when something’s up and yeah.

Dizzy Skips (31:34)
Yeah.

Yeah.

So, talking about Saturday song made me think of music and you and I had a little conversation about like skipping to music. How’s that going? And maybe we should recap. Like I was asking you if you skipped to music, right? And I think you said,

Liz (31:55)
said no I do not skip to music. I found my little mini Bluetooth speaker and I have been trying to the last few times and I get it I understand why people enjoy jumping to music so I think the the wheels are in motion for that but sometimes I’m just like my god that’s just another thing to set up like getting the speaker or like if I know that I’m with the girls like I’ve got to listen to them I can’t have the headphones on.

Dizzy Skips (32:18)
Sure.

Liz (32:19)
I sort of just, yeah, I’m chatting and talking to the girls and whatnot. So I think I’m finding a mix of both. Because even with the Saturday song, I’ll listen to the song what I’m going to be skipping to, but I don’t have that playing when I’m skipping. ⁓ Which I think some people like that sounds bonkers, but for me it works and I make it work.

Dizzy Skips (32:24)
Yeah. Yeah.

That’s so interesting.

Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, I appreciate that it works for you, that would not be like, I’m always listening to music, you know, like always. So.

Liz (32:46)
Yeah, no, and

I like it. I love the music and even I found that song, the Dizzy Miss Lizzie, that we have to do our combo out to one day. One day we’ll do it together. ⁓ Perfect song.

Dizzy Skips (32:55)
Yeah, that would be awesome. Dizzy Miss Lizzy. Absolutely.

Have you done many combos with people?

Liz (33:04)
not really. I’ve tried to do some of Laura’s, @skipping_the_midlifecrisis her ones. But yeah, no, I sort of just focus on doing my own. I know there’s a few, like the group videos people like for Halloween and whatnot where we sort of just meld everything together. But no, those are good fun. But no, not so much.

Dizzy Skips (33:09)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Right. Those are fun.

Liz (33:24)
the split screen. Is that what you’re meaning? Like when you copy their video and yeah.

Dizzy Skips (33:27)
Yeah,

yeah, or or even in person like have you been to any meetups?

Liz (33:32)
I have not. I had my first face-to-face though in August when I went back to WA for a holiday and caught up with Penny, so @mid_century_skipper. Peta’s like my mum, you should message her and see if you can catch up with her or you should do this. So I’m like, yes, Peta, yes. I messaged Penny, I was like, I’m in town, let’s do this. So yeah, she came and met me for, we had maybe three hours together and jumped in between the storms. And then we did our…

Dizzy Skips (33:41)
She is awesome.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Liz (34:00)
I think it was a combo from one of the American meetups, we’re like, about we practice this and can try and we got it in the end. It was a great, great time though. But then after that, we just went in and had a cup of tea and chatted for two hours about skipping and life. it was, no, I’m looking forward to it. She’s amazing. Yeah, very, very fun. She’s one that always messages and checks in as well. So she’s a good egg.

Dizzy Skips (34:06)
Yeah.

Yeah.

That’s great. She’s such a fun person.

Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely.

Liz (34:30)
But now I’m looking

forward to a proper big meetup. So hopefully whenever the next Aussie one is, I’ll be on a plane to wherever that happens and meet some people. Would you ever come to Australia?

Dizzy Skips (34:39)
love to do that. That would be so fun. Yeah.

Are you freaking kidding me? In a heartbeat! If I could afford it. Yeah. Like you couldn’t keep me away. Yeah. Yeah. It is a little expensive, but, but yeah, I’m sure, you know, I could live in a tent on the beach or something like that. Like I can do, I can do budget.

Liz (34:48)
That’s the thing. Well, you’re always welcome.

One time.

Well there’s enough people who can come stay with us. Everyone, there’s always room and beds and spare rooms for the jump rope community.

Dizzy Skips (35:04)
Right. Yeah.

Yeah. So when you do get time to jump, do you ever like struggle with motivation?

Liz (35:12)
Sometimes, yes. And especially like the last month or two, like in August, that’s when I was back in W.A. for the month on the holiday. And even just then I took skipping ropes with me, but just finding the time to maybe skip five days of the month ⁓ and just like, sort of finding as we’re going off to this place now, like I’ll do it later. And I feel like I’ve got to be like in my workout gear. Like I can’t just.

Dizzy Skips (35:26)
Mm-hmm.

Liz (35:35)
quickly go for jump in my jeans and shirt. So I’m like, now I’ve got to get changed. But then as soon as you’re jumping, you’re like, this is great. Why did I not do this for so long? The hardest step is the first step, I feel. But once you’re up and going, it’s, yeah. So no.

Dizzy Skips (35:36)
Right. Yeah.

Yeah.

I know, I’ve so done that so many times.

Right. Yeah.

Yeah, I’ve had

so many of those times where it’s like I’ve driven even to the park and I’m sitting in the car going, I should get out of the car. I like, read a lot of sci-fi or I’ll listen to audiobooks or whatever. And so sometimes I get stuck on a book. But without fail, as soon as I start even just warming up, I’m having fun, you know, I’m listening to music, I’m having fun. Like, why was I procrastinating this at all?

Liz (36:14)
Yeah.

So yeah, so like I said that first step and once you’re in it you’re like, heck yeah, like you can’t stop me. Like you’ve got to, and you get that thing, it’s like, just one more, just one more. I’ll just do it one more time. And then I even say that when like the girls are watching, I’m like, mommy, we’ll just do it one more time and then we’ll come in and have lunch. And I’m like, just one more time.

Dizzy Skips (36:23)
Right.

I know.

That’s so funny. I did a song last night and recorded for like 25 minutes and it’s one time after another, me just saying “just one more time. Just one more. Come on, just one more. Play it again, Sam.”

Liz (36:44)
Yeah, yeah.

No, I think we’re all like that once we get into it. It’s hard to get the rope out of our hands.

Dizzy Skips (36:50)
Yeah.

Yeah, it’s just the most joyous fitness method I can think of. Rope flow and jump rope, the fun of it is amazing.

Liz (36:57)
It’s so much fun.

Yeah, no, the flow I want to try and get, that’s probably one of my goals for next year is to try a bit more like rope flow and get the heavier, the proper rope and, and yeah, get both sides of the brain going. cause I feel with tricks, I often, use my dominant and yeah, let, the non-dominant go unused a bit. So I think yeah, doing a bit more rope flow is a goal for next year.

Dizzy Skips (37:08)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah. Do you ever use like a timer?

Liz (37:26)
Not really. No, I just go and see how long I can get. yeah, sometimes, I mean, my youngest Hannah, sometimes she’ll have a half hour nap. So that’s my usual timer is when she can wake up and hear this from the baby monitor like, time to go in.

Dizzy Skips (37:30)
Yeah.

That’s your timer, right?

You were the first, you made me laugh so hard when you referred to her one time as a ratbag. That is the first time, your little rat bags. my gosh, I had never heard that term used. And she is just like a little sunshine. You calling her ratbag made me laugh. It has made me laugh so many times over and over again. I know, I know. You’re just such an amazing mom. And so that’s what makes it even funnier is just that they are sunshine personified and you’re the nicest person.

Liz (37:45)
The wrap bag, my little wrap bags.

It’s a loving term, it’s not a…

Thank you.

Dizzy Skips (38:09)
calling these little sunshiners ratbags.

Liz (38:11)
No, and that’s

when I call Holly my eldest, my sunshine. I say that to her every day. And I think that’s one of my songs I sing to her, you are my sunshine. So they light up my world and that’s it. This is well being a fitter and skipping with them, watching as I’m role modeling for them. now seeing I’ve got Holly, she’s got her own little skipping ropes and they’re like glittery and like star handles and stuff. I was like, I want a skipping rope with star handles!

Dizzy Skips (38:16)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

It’s so cute.

Right.

Liz (38:36)
but I’ll go and I’ve been looking at something on my phone like to see what move I want to do next. And then she goes and has her go. She’s like, it’s my turn now. I’m like, yeah, you go. And she’s there like trying to do the mamba. I’m like, you’re only four. Like you’re going to be rocking this by the time you’re 10. So no, they are. They’re very much monkey-see monkey-do children. And I’m glad that I can be a good role model for them.

Dizzy Skips (38:43)
Yeah.

I know, right?

Yeah,

it’s amazing. I love like one of the videos I watched of yours earlier. Your oldest daughter is in the background saying, you could do it, mom, you could do it. And you’re doing the mamba or whatever. And I was like, she is the best little coach ever. Like. And then she runs up and gives you a hug afterwards, like after you land it.

Liz (39:09)
Yeah.

She’s amazing and yeah, like… ⁓

Yeah, no, she is. She’s so, so positive and she’s always like, you can do it mum, do it again! And like sometimes she’ll do little like intros for me and she’ll be like, here comes mummy skipper. And I was like, okay, mum, you can come in and film now. And I’m like, thank you. So, but no, and that’s a big reason as well. I’ve got a private profile because I do include the girls a lot and I sort of filter out if people add me, I see like, are you a skipper? Who else follows you? Like,

Dizzy Skips (39:37)
Sure.

Liz (39:43)
okay, you’re allowed in kind of thing. Whereas I feel some of them are like, you’ve got nothing to do with skipping, like no, delete. So I’ve got a small circle, but that’s all right. It’s a good circle.

Dizzy Skips (39:45)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, well that’s

interesting and I’m glad you brought that up because actually earlier I was gonna try and share one of your reels to my… ⁓

Liz (40:02)
Yeah,

that can’t happen, which is one downside to it. a few people have messaged that, like, I’m trying to share your stuff, but it won’t work. ⁓ And I said, yeah, the private profile, unless I think I tag someone specifically in it, then they can share it or like a co-creator. But no, so that’s one of the pitfalls, but that’s a price you pay.

Dizzy Skips (40:09)
Yeah.

Okay. Okay. Sure.

But I mean,

yeah, absolutely. there are some parents who are just fine putting their kids on social with no filter, of. And then there are some people who, like, I’m not gonna do this because the kids can’t make a choice. And I think I like your happy medium. I’ll let people in that I trust. And you’re…

You’re in it for the encouragement and for encouraging others and for making progress and having fun. And so there’s nothing wrong with having a private profile

Liz (40:49)
No, and that’s everyone does their own thing. And that’s like some of the other profiles I see that have started up after me and I sort of see their follower count. I was like, Oh, you’ve like got so many. I’m like, no, that’s not why I started it either. Like it’s amazing if that’s what people are wanting it for and getting that huge number and the visibility. But yeah, it’s everyone’s got it for their different reasons. And I’m happy with my little circle.

Dizzy Skips (40:58)
Right. Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, I think you’ve got a great circle. mean, we have so many friends in common. think almost, I mean, I follow a ridiculous amount of people. think I’ve got your profile pulled up and it says you’re following 537. I think I’m following close to 3000 or something.

Liz (41:29)
Well, that’s I was actually chatting to Aaron probably a few months ago. And that’s probably when I said maybe at 400 and something else. I’ve got to stop. I’ve got a cap at 500. I think I even need to cull some people because I like, I can’t I want to see actually made a favorite list as well of like my main people, but I always forget to actually go to it. I think that’s when I first started as well. It’s like you follow someone and then the suggested comes up and oh, follow, follow, follow, follow, follow, follow. Like these people are all amazing. I’m going to follow you all. But there’s not enough time in the day.

Dizzy Skips (41:39)
Yeah.

Right.

Yeah, yeah.

Right.

Liz (41:57)
But that’s guess what the algorithm’s for, it brings up your favourites anyway and the people that you do interact with, so…

Dizzy Skips (42:01)
Yeah,

right. So what type of jump rope floats your boat? I mean, if someone hasn’t seen your reels or isn’t privy to your profile, so to speak, ⁓ what what type of stuff do you do? And what do you really dig?

Liz (42:11)
You

I like doing crosses I feel I tend to go to, more of like the trick-wise. My footwork is not good at all, but that’s another thing I’m practising and working on. ⁓ But no, think just, thank you very much. That’s the stuff that I post. ⁓ But again, aside from that, that’s why I include all the bloopers on my Saturday songs, but we can talk about that later. But no, I think just…

Dizzy Skips (42:29)
I think your footwork is great.

I know what you mean.

Mm-hmm.

Liz (42:44)
trying to find my own groove and the work and releases and the mumbo sort of where I’m at at the moment. And yeah, just sort of that little bit mix of fitness in like, just keeping it simple, but having fun with it. And I sort of just whatever I see other people doing, think, oh, I might try that. but no.

Dizzy Skips (42:50)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. So are

you like as you’re jumping are you just flowing and throwing things in or like when you start are you thinking? Hey, I saw Laura do this, you know EB combo to a cross and I’m gonna I’m gonna nail that

Liz (43:16)
It’s a bit of both. I’ll just go, especially for the first maybe 10 or so minutes, if I’m like my warm up, I’ll just do what comes. But then as well, if I’ve seen something, then I’ll go to that at the end or the skip squad. Not skip, that’s you. The Saturday Song Squad. ⁓ That’s when I’ll sort of focus and be like, all right, how can I work this in? And I sort of start at the beginning with.

Dizzy Skips (43:32)
Mm-hmm.

Right.

Liz (43:40)
a move and then I build on it, but rather than write down a whole routine or flow, I feel it’s a mix of both. I’ll start and then organically go, what can I go to next? And then I write it down. So then I can start like practicing step by step, like one, two, three, one, two, three, four, what’s the next? So I feel a bit of both depending on where I’m at and what I’m actually focusing on, if that makes sense. ⁓

Dizzy Skips (43:46)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Sure. Yeah,

totally. I’m curious when you started, what was the most challenging part of Jump Rope and what is the most challenging part of it for you now?

Liz (44:11)
even just being able to jump. was honestly so my cardio fitness was shocking, but that actually surprised me how quickly it does build up the cardio that, because I was starting to, let’s just do the hundred jumps. Can I do a hundred? I’m like, holy moly, it’s hard. And then you do that, like, let’s get to, can I do three lots? Can I do 300 jumps? Like with a gap in the middle. ⁓ and then the, like lately I’ve been doing, my, my thousand jumps, like do my hundred, have a quick rest, do another hundred, like quick breath. ⁓

Dizzy Skips (44:19)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Liz (44:40)
But then in saying that how quickly you can build it, you can lose it pretty quickly too, your cardio I find. So I’m curious to see when I do get back into jumping where my cardio is at. But yeah, I’d say at the start just getting out and doing it was the challenge. Now I feel…

Dizzy Skips (44:44)
Mm. Okay.

Mm-hmm.

Liz (44:58)
still the footwork it does like I want to like I see people like Jenny and all their shuffling and they even knew how you just float about on your limestone block and I’m like how how do people do this like I like a little giraffe so yeah I think the footwork is my my challenge at the moment.

Dizzy Skips (45:04)
you.

Yeah.

Yeah. I know for me, like one thing that really has helped with that is insane repetition. And the other thing is music, like just being able to have something with a beat. speaking of apps, we were talking about like Fancy Feats and Tricktionary+ Coach Chris has this feature in Tricktionary+ where you can pick out a playlist or a song based on beats per minute.

Liz (45:40)
⁓

Dizzy Skips (45:41)
So

if you’re trying to like learn something and you want to go a little bit slower, you can say, I’m looking for a 90 beat per minute song. And, and it taps into Spotify’s API and it’ll list out all of these songs that are within, let’s say 90 to a hundred beats per minute. And then you can go up and get faster and faster or whatever. so anyway, the point being that when you have a metronome or you have a song with a healthy beat that is driving things,

Liz (45:48)
interesting.

Dizzy Skips (46:07)
and you work on timing the rope, whether that’s to the beat or to two rotations per beat or whatever, over time, I think that really helps with flow and with footwork as well, because it’s just like a metronome. A metronome is just super boring and you can’t scream lyrics into the park, you know, but.

Liz (46:25)
Well, no, that might actually be something then that I do sort of help because I find you do sort of sink into your own sort of beats per minute of what feels comfortable for you. So yeah, to figure out what that is and then find songs that match it, then maybe that is where I might find that I like jumping to music better. Because I think that that might be when do your different playlists and stuff come on and the music it’s off. So that might be my key to to jumping to music, Dizzy.

Dizzy Skips (46:40)
Yeah.

Yeah,

I mean, I find it super helpful. And also like watching other people, like I’ve stolen so much music from seeing a video like, here’s, know, @aaronjumps365, rocking a Jay-Z song. And like, it’s a Jay-Z song that I never thought about skipping to, or I hadn’t really. And then it becomes like, that beat is just perfect for this footwork. And then the other thing that it does for me is that once you get a beat going like that,

If you go out and start freestyling to it and you get the basic bounce to the beat and then you get like alternating footwork, then you can just start varying things up. So if the beat is like in four, four time, maybe you put your footwork in three, four time up against that and it looks cool. You know what I mean? So like having that reference point just allows you to kind of vamp on the beat. And for me, it’s been super fun because I stumble into

Liz (47:34)
Yeah, well yeah maybe that is my key.

Dizzy Skips (47:45)
things that I think are cool, know, or that are fun for me, you know.

Liz (47:48)
Yeah, no, and it is when I’m or scrolling and you hear all these different songs, like my saved list of songs, like, I can do a reel to that one. I can do a reel to that one. then there’s so many saved that I forget. But even like Janie, @janieonthejump, her song choices and her ⁓ podcast, her, what’s the thing called? Spotify list. Like that’s one we play in the car sometimes and my older’s like, can we listen to Janie’s music? And I’m like, yes, we can. Yes, we can.

Dizzy Skips (47:54)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Spotify. Yeah.

Nice.

Liz (48:15)
So it’s either Janie or Disney. Yeah, I did, messaged her once. I was like, my

Dizzy Skips (48:15)
Does she know that? I’m gonna have to… Okay, good.

Liz (48:20)
eldest wanted to listen to your music today. She’s like, that is amazing.

Dizzy Skips (48:24)
That is amazing.

That is so cool. @janieonthejump has a Australian little girl like rocking the @janieonthejump Spotify list. That’s great. That’s great. So what is next for you to learn? Or what are you aspiring to do next in Jump?

Liz (48:29)
Yeah, a little four year old.

Yep, she loves it.

think, like I said, I do want to try a bit more with the flow rope and sort of just get both sides going. But I think as well, I think this first year I got a bit caught up in the whole wanting to do it all and figuring like, I think just for me, I want to figure out what my style is, like be more authentic, do a bit more jumping without the filming like that, not forward thinking to like, how can I make this look cool for Instagram? Like just do it for me. And so I think just as a whole, that’s probably my goal.

Dizzy Skips (48:45)
Mm-hmm.

Mmm.

Yeah.

Right? Yeah.

Liz (49:11)
rather than like skills and things. Just figure out what I’m good at, what I wanna be. And you can tell, even watching you, like, you are you. in like, Jenny, like, everyone’s got the people that have got their style. Like, Aaron with his crosses, like, I know he’s starting to go into footwork, but the people that are authentically just jumping the way their body wants to or the way they wanna move, it just hits different when you watch it you can tell. So I wanna sort of guide myself to that.

Dizzy Skips (49:11)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, that’s so cool. Yeah, I’ve mentioned before, I think of it as sort of like finding my footwork voice, you know, like just jumping without, like, I think that is a great aspiration. First of all, I’ve said this before, but I don’t think anybody should feel pressure to have to learn all of the tricks that you see on Instagram. Like, Coach Kathy said she did basic bounce and alternating footwork or like, you know,

Liz (49:57)
No way.

Dizzy Skips (50:02)
basic shuffle for like a year or a year and a half before she really tried anything else. And that is awesome. And I think it shows in her timing and her jumping.

Liz (50:11)
And that’s why I I might, I think I’ve rushed, well not think I know I’ve rushed to be like, what fun things can I do? Cause it is, it’s exciting. There’s endless possibilities of what we can do with this little bit of string. ⁓ But yes, I think just going back and yeah, getting those basic foundations, the timing, the arms, like just getting it ready. So then you can progress even better. Like I feel like Papa Joe, he’s big on just.

Dizzy Skips (50:17)
Yeah. Yeah. Right, right. Yeah.

Yeah.

Liz (50:35)
doing the foundations, knows what works, he doesn’t need to do all the fancy tricks, he does his own thing and he’s good at it. Yeah. Yes indeed.

Dizzy Skips (50:36)
Yeah.

Yeah, he shows up and he rocks it, doesn’t he? Yeah, he’s a ripper, as you would say.

Yeah. Yeah. I think that’s funny.

like when talking about like finding your own voice and just being authentically you, it makes me laugh because even earlier today I was jumping at the park and even after I was done jumping and put down the jump rope, I’m still listening to music and I can’t stop like shuffling. Like if anybody’s watching me, they must think that guy is so crazy. Like he just never stops moving and I’m dancing around and thinking I’m having fun. That is just me.

Liz (51:14)
You’re

happy. That’s it. You’re doing you and don’t ever let anyone make you stop doing that because it’s amazing

Dizzy Skips (51:21)
Yeah, well,

that’s one of the biggest things that Jump Rope and the community and the changes in my life have brought me is that, you I used to care so much about what someone would think of me. I never would have danced two years ago in front of people, like mortifying me, you know, just the idea of that. And now I just, it’s me. And if you don’t like it, that’s your business, you know, but I like it. I’m having fun.

Liz (51:44)
That’s

exactly it. And I think that’s a big life lesson. I think sometimes you need those big things to happen and you realize that you just got to make yourself happy. As long as you’re not hurting anyone, do you?

Dizzy Skips (51:54)
Right, yeah, yeah.

Life is so much more fun when you free yourself to do that, right? Like, yeah. Well, Lizzie, it has been amazing having you on, and I’ve loved watching your journey. I love your videos. They’re just so happy and fun, and I love seeing your daughters and your whole family be so supportive of you. It’s just wonderful.

Liz (52:01)
Absolutely.

No, it is. It’s great. I love it. I love including them and all the parts and like I said, like with the bloopers as well, like showing this the real, like it’s not Instagram perfect. I think a lot of people now are showing what happens behind and to get to that 90 second or even the 20 seconds that you want to show. there’s, yeah, it’s real life.

Dizzy Skips (52:26)
Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I need to

do some more of those. I did a fantastic one today where I was trying to do this combo where I was doing an EB swing on both sides and then a wrist wrap and a spin and a reverse cross. And I tried to speed it up and speed it up and I had these over the ear headphones on and.

Liz (52:55)
Ha ha ha!

Dizzy Skips (52:55)
I got too close and whipped one of them off and I was in a like a batting cage and I heard, I thought I heard it whack against something. I could not find it anywhere. And then I looked down and I had hooked my rope through it. It was on my rope.

Liz (53:05)
Yep.

What was that?

Love that. Yeah, the things we capture sometimes it’s, I do love a blooper reel.

Dizzy Skips (53:11)
Yeah.

I know. Yeah, they’re fantastic.

Well, everybody needs to stay tuned for the Dizzy gets Lizzie? Dizzy Miss Lizzie, right.

Liz (53:22)
⁓ Dizzy Miss Lizzie, you make me

dizzy Miss Lizzie. We’re gonna do it Dizzy, that’s some other aim for next year is our collaboration. That’s the word I was looking for, collaboration.

Dizzy Skips (53:26)
Right, yep.

All right. Yep. Yep.

The Dizzy Miss Lizzy combo collaboration. Stay tuned, folks.

Liz (53:37)
Yeah,

northern hemisphere, southern hemisphere, we’re going to bring it together.

Dizzy Skips (53:41)
That’s right.

All

right, well, thank you so much for being here. This has been so fun to talk to you in person and keep up the great work. You’re just awesome and very inspirational.

Liz (53:51)
Thank you so much.

Thank you, thank you. It means a lot.