A woman has stunned the internet by making an unconventional descent down an extremely tall lamppost, all in an effort to overcome her fear of heights.
Flora Labedens (@floralabedens), 27, a parkour enthusiast from London, decided to face her fear head-on. With a background in parkour, Flora took on the challenge, Telling Newsweek: “So I’m a parkour athlete, and it has become popular among parkour people to try pole slides as it’s a good way to be faced with height without having to take any impacts or do any jump.”
Parkour is a discipline centered around navigating obstacles using physical techniques like running, climbing, and jumping.
“It was a good way to battle my fear of height. As I’ve done other lower pole slides before, I knew it was safe with the right technique. It was only a matter of breaking the mental fear of height and going for it!”
Labedens took to a towering streetlight, an estimated 26 feet tall, in Sheffield in northern England, executing the impressive slide with the ease of a seasoned athlete. The video garnered 617,000 likes and 4.8 million views. She captioned the video: “Quick way down.”
Parkour is about flowing through your environment with confidence and skill, often in urban settings where obstacles like railings, walls, and lampposts are transformed into training grounds for those who practice the discipline.
Training safely is critical in parkour. Beginners are encouraged to start small and progress gradually, according to Parkour U.K.
Adopting proper techniques and building up to challenging moves can help practitioners stay safe and avoid injury while developing their skills.
The sport is dangerous and mistakes can even lead to death, it is advised participants educate themselves about these risks before practicing.
According to the World Freerunning Parkour Federation, beginners should start with baby-steps by jumping from smaller heights, and learn to practice safety shoulder rolls and landing.
While Flora’s daring lamppost slide received applause, it also sparked concern among viewers, with some warning of a potential “degloving” injury—a traumatic event in which the skin is ripped away from underlying tissues.
WebMD says that degloving injuries often occur when hands or fingers are exposed to friction or pressure against rough surfaces.
This prompted one viewer to comment: “Girl, I know you’ve said you’ve tested it on a low level first, but there’s significantly less risk of degloving on a low level… just make sure you have hand protection next time, lol.”
Many users chimed in with stories of their own thrilling teenage antics. One viewer remarked: “I used to do that as a teenager to sneak out of the house. Used to climb up the lamppost to get back in, too!”
Others expressed admiration for Flora’s bravery, while some jokingly admitted their own limitations: “I’m a clumsy person; I would definitely miss and fall,” confessed Eiza. Another person said, “Stop, I can’t even go down the child ones!”
