I wish someone had told me humans can fly…

“I wish someone had told me” is a series of posts that feed into our inquisitive nature at CN&CO. Each week we hear from someone in our network about something interesting or surprising that’s recently happened or occurred to them – or lessons they learnt. These blogs are a way to pay it forward and form part of CN&CO’s belief that the world can be a better place – and we all have a responsibility to make it so. This week’s post is by Llewellyn D Plessis

I guess flying is every child’s dream after watching the infamous “Peter Pan” movies. Growing up, I met an amazing person who not only dreamt about flying but became South Africa’s most well known “Flying Man”.

His journey starts way back in the 90’s when Tsogt Bayasgalan, a professional ballet dancer and circus artist, signed a contract to perform for Boswell Wilkie Circus in South Africa.

Tsogt is not the only one in his family with a love for the stage. His mother was a Prima Ballerina for Mongolia and her country even placed her face on a post stamp. I guess with such a successful mother, Tsogt was destined to mesmerise audiences across the globe.

After traveling through South Africa for his first season with Boswell Wilkie Circus, he fell in love with the country and decided to make this his home. He continued to travel through the country as one of the resident performers of Boswell Wilkie Circus. His most memorable act, flying silks, had audiences in awe as he flew around the big top.

Boswell Wilkie Circus decided to stop touring in 2001 and this is when Tsogt, by now know as The Flying Man, found a new way defy gravity. Tsogt joined the Upstage team where he worked as a main rigger and HOD of their lighting department. He also worked on various international movie sets as a stunts rigger.

Tsogt also did not let his talent as a performer go to waste and made an appearance in various international as well as local movies and adverts as a professional actor. The most recent appearance being in the American movie called Bloodshot where he acted alongside Vin Diesel.

I have known Tsogt for most of my life as I grew up right next to the Circus farm and had the opportunity to train with this phenomenal artist when I was part of the Boswell Wilkie Circus school. Tsogt works regularly with the CN&CO Events team on various projects as our head rigger and every now and then, he puts a costume on and fly around our venues.

Here is a video of his famous “Flying Act” at a corporate function.

Through the years Tsogt had to adapt to various career paths, but one thing that stood out was his tenacity to always make it work. He will always give his best and when the lights go on, no matter what the challenges are, he will stand proud and fly…