{"id":19316,"date":"2013-03-15T08:18:35","date_gmt":"2013-03-15T13:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fitzness.com\/blog\/?p=19316"},"modified":"2014-10-29T11:19:04","modified_gmt":"2014-10-29T16:19:04","slug":"emily-sukiennik-this-is-why-i-slackline-highline-and-rock-climb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitzness.com\/blog\/emily-sukiennik-this-is-why-i-slackline-highline-and-rock-climb\/","title":{"rendered":"Emily Sukiennik: This Is Why I Slackline, Highline and Rock Climb"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Emily Sukiennik, 26, Moab, Utah<\/b><\/p>\n

Why do you slackline, highline and rock climb?:<\/b> I love the challenge. I\u2019ve always been into sports (my Dad had me on ice skates when I was 3!) but when I found rock climbing and slacklining I became obsessed with the \u201cfear\u201d component. It\u2019s not only physically demanding, but you have to overcome and control the fear, which is the most rewarding part for me. I feel best when I\u2019ve accomplished a goal, so I keep setting them for myself.<\/p>\n

How long have you been doing these extreme sports?<\/b> I\u2019ve been climbing since around 2007, slacklining and highlining since 2009.<\/p>\n

Do you compete?<\/b> I used to compete in \u201ctricklining\u201d competitions, performing tricks on the slackline a few feet off the ground. I had a great time with that for about two years, but I found that my true passion lies in highlining and I\u2019ve chosen to pursue that instead.\u00a0 I love to practice and perform tricks on highlines because it\u2019s a combination of the gymnastic tricks and the intense exposure. It\u2019s so scary and beautiful at the same time.<\/p>\n

Most challenging aspect of these activities?<\/b> Gosh, there are a lot of challenging aspects. I guess I\u2019d say the rigging is the most challenging for me. I have to set the riggings up by myself and it\u2019s always a different situation. It\u2019s like a puzzle: you have to figure out how to make your gear work correctly which quite often takes hours and can be very frustrating!<\/p>\n

Most fun aspect of it all?<\/b> The most fun part is getting to be in such magical places, it\u2019s like I\u2019m floating in space!<\/p>\n

Most rewarding aspect?<\/b> The most rewarding aspect for me is the feeling I get when it\u2019s all over. I get to see what I had accomplished and smile.<\/p>\n

Who\/what inspires you when you\u2019re feeling weak?<\/b> When I\u2019m feeling weak, I like to think about women who have worked hard for their goals and kept going despite the many setbacks and difficulties along the way. Things take time and a lot of hard work and sometimes that\u2019s easy to forget. I am very inspired by Steph Davis, a phenomenal rock climber, BASE jumper and wing-suit flyer also based out of Moab. She\u2019s done things that I can\u2019t even fathom, like travel the world, attempt first ascents and write two books. When I see what she has accomplished I can\u2019t help but aspire to do the same. (check out her website: www.highinfatuation.com<\/a> )\"IMG_3656\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Advice for others who\u2019d like to get started: <\/b>Buy your first slackline! You can find some great kits at www.balancecommunity.com<\/a>\u00a0 or www.gibbonslacklines.com<\/a>. Check out your local rock climbing gym! It\u2019s a great place to meet people that are into the outdoors and playing on rocks (you might even meet some slackliners there too!).<\/p>\n

Your must-have equipment for slacklining, highlining and rock climbing:<\/b> I laugh because I need an entire backpack or two full of steel, ropes and webbing. My favorite piece of equipment is my swami-belt. It\u2019s an alternate harness that I wrap around my waist to stay safe, but the thing about it is that it would really hurt if I fell in it. People typically don\u2019t understand why I wear this instead of a regular harness, so let me explain: Wearing a harness is very safe and it\u2019s okay to fall in it. After a while I got comfortable and skilled at highlining, when that happened I needed to spice things up a bit. I am not into walking the line without safety gear at all, so I decided to start wearing a swami. It is incentive for me not to fall and to focus completely on staying upright. I say it\u2019s my form of free soloing. Another cool part about it is that the definition of \u201cswami\u201d is \u201cmaster\u201d so when I wear it, I feel like a master of my art!<\/p>\n

Favorite training song:<\/b> Hmm….right now I\u2019d have to say \u201cAnything\u201d by Tegan and Sara.\u00a0 I love them!<\/p>\n

Favorite healthy food:<\/b> Enormous salads filled with fruits and veggies.<\/p>\n

Favorite not-so-healthy food:<\/b> Oreos!<\/p>\n

Funniest \/weirdest\/most awkward experience doing it all:<\/b> When I tried my first highline ever, I was not prepared for what would happen if I fell. Naturally, being my first highline, I fell and didn\u2019t catch the line. I \u201cwhipped\u201d onto my back-up leash and was unable to get back onto the line! I have a video of it somewhere, it\u2019s so hilarious and embarrassing at the same time. Almost everyone struggles with this in the beginning, so when I see people going through the same thing I just flash back to that experience and giggle \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n