SWINGING FROM THE RAFTERS

We went down to Battersea Park to audition for the circus.

If only that was me. Alas it was my very talented friend Kat showing us all how it's supposed to look.

My first attempt went like this:

Yup. That's me. Freaking out.

This is what I was trying to do as demonstrated by Kat once more:

It all started with a briefing from our awesome Gorilla Circus instructors before we were allowed on the platform.

Some of the others had done Trapezing before but I never have. It didn't even look that high from the ground! If I had known, I probably wouldn't have signed up. Heights aren't an issue for me, it's the jumping off of heights (harness or no) that I find life alteringly uncomfortably overwhelmingly sh*tty. It's probably the reason I'll never attempt a bungee or sky diving.

Our instructors though were very patient and gave me loads of tips on how to move my limbs.

My first attempt failed because I wasn't anticipating the freefall you experience in the first second you jump off the platform. The feeling overwhelmed me. I screamed and forgot to hold on and went flying lol.

I couldn't leave things like that. If I had quit then, I would have been petrified for life so it was important I gather my ladynuts and get back on the horse.

My second attempt was a little better. As in I held on tight. Couldn't quite get my knees high enough to complete the task but hey, progress is progress.

After 3 goes, I'd had enough of the fear (which was exhausting and did not subside despite several attempts). We called it a day and our instructors decided to do a little showcase for us.

The others loved the experience and one even signed up to Gorilla Circus' 4 week courses. For me, I'm glad I tried it out and faced my fears. But it only served to reconfirm my hatred of the freefall. If it was possible to be lifted up rather than jump off a platform it would be the perfect sport.

Check out the guys at Gorilla Circus here, they are awesome and friendly and they know their stuff. I'd recommend the experience for team building especially so have a go and let me know how you find it :)

xxs