Biggin takes life’s dancefloor in stride

FOLLOWING her first dance lesson, Heidi Biggin has been having so much fun it looks like dance might just become a regular partner for life – as well as for Dancing With Our Stars.

But taking things in her stride is something Biggin is used to.

Among those set to sparkle in this year’s Ballarat Foundation dance competition fundraiser, the businesswoman, accessibility advocate and mum of three lost almost all of her eyesight in 2010 at the age of 22.

“I got sick and lost it over a space of six weeks,” Biggin said.

“It was a neurological disorder and the fluid pressure in my skull paralysed my optic nerve. I’ve got no sight in my left eye and ten percent in my right.”

She went from being a beauty therapist to being a qualified access consultant and award-winning accessibility advocate.

“I switched gears. Life changed a whole lot, but it didn’t change at all,” she said.

Biggin was carefully matched with a guide dog, Freya, who has a big bubbly personality entirely in sync with Biggins’ own.

Alongside Freya’s help, Biggin has no problem navigating life and getting on with business, deploying a white cane if needed, and her Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses with camera, touch-screen and headphones.

With many weeks of dancing prep needed to participate in DWOS, Biggin last week took her first dance lesson at The Dance Studio with instructor Shelley Ross and dance partner, podiatrist Adrian Misseri, and loved it.

“I had no words,” she said.

“It went really well. I was surprised at how little eyesight you need to dance. Shelley was amazing at describing things.

“It was very much a ‘wow’ moment. I’ve got the paso doble. It’s Latin. Passionate. Big music. Big costumes. I’m all in now.”

The Ballarat Foundation launched Dancing With Our Stars 2026 just before Easter with the gala performance night set for Saturday 20 June, raising dollars for projects addressing youth mental health, homelessness, family violence and more.

All funds raised support direct local action and people can support their favourite star with individual fundraising pages accepting donations via ballaratfoundation.org.au.