French athlete breaks world record after climbing Eiffel Tower
French athlete Anouk Garnier broke the rope climbing world record on Wednesday morning after she ascended 100 metres (330 feet) to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.
“I really did it?” the 34-yearold asked through tears while throwing herself into the arms of her family, including her “very proud” mother.
Equipped with a security cord, the two-time obstacle course world champion set off just moments earlier in front of dozens of people to climb one of Paris’ most iconic landmarks.
The objective: Beat previous marks held by South African
Thomas Van Tonder who climbed 90 metres (300 feet) for the men’s record and Dane Ida Mathilde Steensgaard who peaked at 26 metres (85 feet) for the women’s record. After just 18 minutes of climbing, compared to the 20 minutes initially estimated, she finally hit 100 metres.
“It is a dream come true. It was magical. If there was one thing that I never doubted, it was that I was going to do it,” Garnier said.
It all began in 2022 when she landed the title of double world champion for obstacle courses in her age category.
Looking for a new challenge, Garnier discovered Steensgaard, a world champion in the same sport, who established a rope climbing world record for scaling the Copenhagen Opera House.
Garnier said: “I told myself ‘26 metres is not very long. And me, what monument could I climb?’”
She set her sights on the Eiffel Tower, a symbol of France around the world.“i never gave up because there were ups and downs,” Garnier said. Convincing sponsors was particularly complicated, she added.
When Garnier finally arrived at the Eiffel Tower on Wednesday morning, she cried.
“It is a year of preparation, it is not just an 18-minute climb.
There is all the pressure when you aim for big things like this. When it is really done, the emotion is crazy,” she said.
“They are the ones who instilled in me this discipline of sport, of always doing the best, always seeking excellence. It is thanks to them that I can do extraordinary things like today,” she said. She also took up this challenge for her mother, who has cancer, to raise money for League Against Cancer, an organisation that works to prevent cancer and support patients.
“I saw her struggling so much that I wanted to do my part,” Garnier said.