Toni Cartwright crane operator who left career as a gymnast

A gymnast who once dreamed of running away with the circus has revealed how she turned her love of extreme acrobatics into a six-figure career as a crane operator.

Tony Cartwright was 16 and worked as a performer for years when she felt her love for gymnastics fading.

At the age of 19, the Brisbane native realized she would have to find “a real adult job,” she told FEMAIL.

Then the life of the now 29-year-old was ‘turned upside down’. She explained that she simply followed the opportunities that presented themselves and secured a job in construction.

Once she got her foot in the door, Toni decided to buy a few more tickets that would allow her to drive heavy machinery like forklifts and cranes.

Then she set her sights on operating tower cranes, huge machines that can lift building materials 150 feet above construction sites.

The cranes are difficult to operate because of their size, but Toni proved she had no fear of heights or challenge.

Once she got her qualifications things got tough – she couldn’t find anyone to hire her for the job and even considered quitting construction for a career in the military.

But then she got a call back.

A site manager who wanted a crane operator who wouldn’t try to control the entire construction operation.

“The builder was fed up with grumpy old men and wanted to try and change the toxic work environment that a construction site can be,” she said.

Toni had no experience running sites – so was the perfect match – and managed to prove herself as a seamless operator in her two week trial.

Toni’s career path was unplanned, but she wasn’t going to change jobs

She’s been working out of her “little glass office in the sky” for seven years, earning a six-figure salary and wouldn’t change a thing.

“My position as a tower crane operator is such a respected role on site because of the high risk and skills required,” she said.

Toni said she is often asked if she had to work harder to get to where she is today, as construction is a male-dominated industry.

“I’d be lying if I said it’s all been smooth sailing, but I’ve earned the respect I’m getting now. I don’t think this performance is particularly different for a man or a woman. We all have to start somewhere and prove our worth,” she said.

Toni posts about her work online – and shares her own building journey with her chippy partner Jimmy.

The young woman recently shared a video showing her 7th “completed” high-rise.

In a video days before, the young woman grabbed a coffee at sunrise — noting it was a six-day work week on the site.

She earns a good six-figure income and enjoys working on location – she has worked on seven completed skyrise buildings in Brisbane

While others show men in fluorescent vests below her dragging materials through the air.

“After 10 years in the chair, everything looks pretty much the same from above,” she laughed.

She also posted a viral post about the best and worst aspects of her job.

In the video, she explains that she loves being able to climb off the crane at the end of the day and not have to think about her work until she’s back at the clocks.

The worst thing about her job, she said, is the brilliance.