French athlete Anouk Garnier (34 years old) broke the world record after climbing a 100m rope to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower in just 18 minutes.
Speaking to the media, Garnier said emotionally: “It’s a dream come true. It’s magical.”
Equipped with a seat belt, the two-time world champion in the obstacle course race made the journey to conquer one of the most iconic landmarks of Paris in front of thousands of fans.
Anouk Garnier set a goal of climbing the 100m rope in 20 minutes, but in reality she only needed 18 minutes to complete this journey.
She shared: “I never gave up even though there were many ups and downs on the way to achieving this record. The weather was not always my ally and I also had to convince sponsors to participate. This monumental project.
But I never stopped believing. It’s a year of preparation, not just an 18-minute climb. There’s a lot of pressure when you’re aiming for big things like this. But when you conquer your goal, the feeling is ‘crazy’.”
The previous world record belonged to South African athlete Thomas Van Tonder. He climbed 90m up the rope between the Soweto tower in Johannesburg in 2020. Danish athlete Ida Mathilde Steensgaard holds the women’s record after climbing the rope 26m at the Copenhagen Opera House tournament in 2022.
Garnier said she was inspired by Steensgaard’s success and wanted to take on this challenge to raise money for the Anti-Cancer League, after doctors diagnosed her mother with the disease.
Currently, Garnier plans to return to obstacle racing and will participate in the 2024 Paris Olympic torch relay in Marseille on May 9 before becoming an ambassador for the Paris Olympic volunteer program this summer.
