When I say sports, you say rugby. Or tennis. Or soccer. But that’s just the tip of the incredibly deep iceberg. On this website, we’ve covered volleyball, surfing and even motorcross racing. Get ready to meet one of the coolest extreme sports around: cliff diving.
Rhiannan Iffland is an Australian athlete who makes her living jumping off really tall cliffs in a very graceful fashion. Case in point:
Scary? Sure. Cool As Hell? Yes!
As it turns out, while cliff diving isn’t for the faint-hearted, you’ll never not be scared. “The fear, I would say, is always there – regardless of the number of times I have repeated the dives,” says Iffland. “We as high divers all have our own ways to take the edge off.” Iffland’s go-to techniques include deep breathing, practising mindfulness and embracing her fear. “I actually believe that the fear is one thing that keeps me a little safer while diving at those heights, it’s the one thing that will stop you from doing things or dives that are completely crazy and very dangerous,” she says.
READ MORE: How Motorcross Racer Dayna Nienaber Holds Her Own In A Male-Dominated Space
Strong Women Dominate
Women’s presence in sport is growing and Iffland feels that support in her field. “Being a woman in the sporting industry is empowering, welcoming and competitive,” says Iffland. “In the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, we are a group of women that face fears on a day-to-day basis sharing the same passion, travelling the world competing together, encouraging each other to push the limits not only to reach personal goals, but to push the sport of cliff diving for women further, open up new doors and opportunities and encourage more women to join in on the fun and gain experience.” Big high fives to these incredible women.
READ MORE ON: Fitness Real Women