When 21-year-old Italian foot-juggler Selyna Bogino uploaded a video to YouTube showing herself practicing a routine, she didn’t think much of it.
“One day after all my practice sessions, I just wanted to record it to show my fans this very difficult routine,” she told the Daily Dot.
After uploading the video on September 7, she went offline for a few days to attend a cousin’s wedding. By the time she got back, the video had started to go viral. It’s currently at 967,967 views on YouTube.
“When I came back I had 134 friendship requests on Facebook, over 3,000 emails, followers on Twitter, and television and advertising requests. People even wanted to buy my video!” Bogino said.
The video shows Bogino in lying on her back in her practice space. She then juggles five basketballs in various patterns with her hands and feet. “I’m doing what I do every day, sweating, without makeup, without stage costume, just a tracksuit!” she said.
Born in the small Italian town of Galliate, Bogino has practiced as a foot-juggler since she was eight. A fifth-generation circus artist, her act takes her all over Europe. She wrote in her video description that she’s practicing “to beat the world record of the longest and most difficult 5 balls routine ever.” But that was tongue-in-cheek.
“I just wrote like that as a joke, because I know it’s a very long routine compared to the one you see normally in the others foot-juggling acts,” she says.
Being a young woman on YouTube, she of course has attracted a fair number of unsavory commenters. But she takes those in stride.
“She must be BOMB in bed,” said jew1772. “Unfortunately for you, you’ll never know that,” Bogino replied from her account.