A daring French climber set out to shatter the world rope climbing record by conquering the second floor of the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Anouk Garnier ascended a free-hanging rope spanning 361 feet (110 meters) in a mere 18 minutes, surpassing expectations by two minutes. Garnier's remarkable achievement not only bested the previous rope climbing world record but also the female rope climbing record.
"My dream has become a reality. It's truly magical," expressed the 34-year-old climber to reporters following her extraordinary feat. "I always had unwavering faith in achieving this."
Garnier shared, "There were numerous challenges along the path to this record. The weather didn't consistently favor us, and aligning the schedules of everyone involved in this monumental project was a task. Nevertheless, my belief never wavered. The satisfaction and joy I feel today are immeasurable. It's the realization of an incredible dream."
"Seeing her struggle so intensely, I felt compelled to contribute," Garnier remarked.
The previous world record was held by South African athlete Thomas Van Tonder, who climbed 295 feet (90 meters) up a robe between the Soweto Towers in Johannesburg in 2020. Danish athlete Ida Mathilde Steensgaard held the female record after climbing 85 feet (26 meters) at the Copenhagen Opera House in 2022. Garnier's new record time has not yet been validated by Guinness World Records.
"I said to myself: 26 meters (85 feet) isn't that far, what monument could I climb?" she told AFP.
Garnier said it started to "hurt a lot" around the 262-foot (80 meters) mark.
The two-time world obstacle course champion trained for a year before her attempt on Wednesday. "I've visualized this moment so much, worked so hard for a year to get here that I can't believe it's really happened," she said, according to CBS News partner BBC News.
"I'm in great shape and I intend to keep it up for the next 10 years," she said.
