Aries Susanti Rahayu breaks speed climbing world record

The moment Aries Susanti Rahayu’s jaw-dropping performance went viral, it was clear the Indonesian speed climber was on to something special. Her world record-breaking victory left the world open-mouthed at her lightning fast climb.

On Oct 19, in Xiamen, China, Rahayu soared up a 49ft wall at the International Federation of Sport Climbing World Cup in 6.995 seconds, becoming the first woman to scale the height in under seven seconds.

The 24-year-old powerhouse, nicknamed “Spiderwoman” for her superhuman feat, exploded out of her starting position and toed up the 15metre climb with effortless beauty. She beat her opponent Yiling Song, who held the previous world record of 7.101sec. As a hijab-wearing Muslim, Rahayu’s visibility as a “superhero” took on added significance, busting through stereotypes and inspiring women and girls around the world.

Rahayu excelled in spite of the niggling hand and finger injuries she picked up at the end of August last year. “It turns out that the power of the mind is extraordinary,” she wrote in an Instagram post following her victory.

“[The injuries] affected my performance, so I could not reach the time limits during training. And this disturbed my concentration a little ahead of the competition. Was it possible for me to give my optimum performance?

“However, in the midst of doubt, there

[have] always [been] coaches, families and teams who have always supported me. Nothing is impossible when we try. Forget the pain. Turn it into strength,” she said.