{"id":63441,"date":"2018-10-26T17:02:13","date_gmt":"2018-10-26T17:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/death-abs-smoothies\/?p=63441"},"modified":"2020-06-09T07:51:35","modified_gmt":"2020-06-09T07:51:35","slug":"self-esteem-friendship-tower-climbing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/self-esteem-friendship-tower-climbing\/","title":{"rendered":"SELF ESTEEM, FRIENDSHIP, & TOWER CLIMBING"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI\u2019m an athlete.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, great. What kind of sport do you play?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a tower climber!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When I say this, there\u2019s a flash of shock or confusion on the face of the other person, and I have to clarify that I\u2019m referring to the stairs, not scaling structures from the outside. My daredevil streak doesn\u2019t extend that far and I\u2019d like to stick around for a while.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"tunnerl<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So, what is tower climbing, or tower running, as it is called in some circles? It\u2019s an organized, international sport that involves climbing human-made structures of various heights. Compared to soccer and baseball, it\u2019s a relatively new sport in the sense that there are many who have never heard of it. I learned of it purely by chance in 2016, when I was part of a fitness group that decided to create a team for the Rockefeller Center climb, intended to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis research. I had no idea how I would do, but since I was struggling with my weight, as well as a debilitating elevator phobia, it was best for me to use the stairs whenever possible. I questioned my sanity more than once in that stuffy stairwell- wondering why I hadn\u2019t hit the \u201csnooze\u201d button on my alarm clock. It\u2019s customary for climbs to start early in the morning, and since I came into Manhattan from the Bronx, I had to leave home while it was still dark. But the cause, coupled with the incredible view at the top, justified every drop of sweat.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I never thought that what was meant to be a one- time experience would become a staple. My discovery of this sport correlated with a pivotal point in my adult life. In my mid to late twenties, I was becoming more enthusiastic about celebrating my blackness, and cognizant of issues affecting my community. To an extent, climbing buildings was a metaphor for rising above the race-related struggles which plagued me for years. I didn\u2019t get to that summit quickly, and there were pain and uncertainty along the way, but I arrived, and that\u2019s worth celebrating. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To date, I\u2019ve climbed the Eiffel Tower, Willis Tower, Freedom Tower and a number of lesser-known structures, and the lack of diversity among participants is difficult to miss. Of the few climbers of color I\u2019ve seen, practically none are black, and I\u2019m not sure if that\u2019s due to my community\u2019s lack of awareness of the sport or lack of interest. For certain, it can be expensive in the absence of a sponsor, and not knowing enough people willing to donate to your fundraiser, which ranges from $100 to $250 minimum, depending on the building. Most American climbs have a fundraising component, and if you have to travel, that can augment costs. I budget in advance, but it requires discipline because I sometimes spend beyond my means.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There is much more of me to haul up the stairs, so when I look at most of the top climbers, who have slimmer builds conducive to speed, I sometimes feel self-conscious. Appreciating my voluptuous physique has been an on and off battle. My breasts aren\u2019t huge, but they\u2019re ample enough, and though I\u2019ve taken to wearing leggings with lively designs to emphasize my big legs, I worry if they are <\/span>too<\/span><\/i> big. I\u2019ve never been dead last out of all climbers, but I\u2019m always the tortoise among my group of friends, affectionately called \u201cstep-siblings.\u201d This was difficult to digest for a while and I almost quit because I didn\u2019t think I was worthy of being around such world-class athletes. But I\u2019ve learned to take it all in stride and to use humor to diffuse the sting because, at the end of the day, it really isn\u2019t all that serious. I may not set records as the others do, but I\u2019m reasonably sure I can twerk better, so that balances things out. \u00a0Our rhythmic differences are an ongoing source of humor for us, and god knows there are enough photos and videos to prove it!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The camaraderie that has blossomed over the course of my tower climbing journey might not have been possible otherwise. Whereas my relationship with most climbers is casual, there\u2019s a special group I’m close to, mostly women. This isn\u2019t a coincidence- I\u2019ve always connected with powerful ladies, and most of them are substantially older than me. Their agility is awe-inspiring. Even if I enter the stairwell first, it\u2019s not long before I hear one of them coming up behind me, and as protocol dictates, I move aside for them to pass. There\u2019s no use trying to catch them- I don\u2019t even hear their footsteps past a certain point. Once we reunite at the top, panting, sweaty and a little nauseated, there\u2019s no belittling or arrogance whatsoever- just support, and a sense of accomplishment. \u00a0Once we\u2019ve gotten our medals, we take the elevator to the lobby (we wouldn\u2019t dare descend all those stairs even if we had the energy), and go to a restaurant or somebody\u2019s hotel room for more shenanigans. The \u201cstep-siblings\u201d have varied life experiences- we\u2019re parents, cancer survivors, personal trainers, travel agents, medical professionals and more. Tower climbing gives us an outlet to persevere in spite of any personal challenges, and even though it\u2019s difficult for us to convene regularly outside of climbs, it feels like no time elapsed when we do.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Whether the Eiffel Tower or the Space Needle, no structure is the same, and unless you have the advantage of climbing a building before, you can only be so prepared for it. Sometimes, you have to contend with long, steep flights in spaces without ventilation or water stations. The Freedom Tower and the Eiffel Tower have tight security, so we have to find other ways, aside from listening to music, to distract from the lactic acid building in our legs, and the disembodied pants around us. Some climbers applaud for each other, others break out in a song when their lungs permit. Some have the stamina to run the whole time, but I prefer to pace myself- making use of my long legs by climbing two steps at once. With practice, I\u2019ve managed to shave seconds, even minutes off preceding times for buildings I\u2019ve climbed previously, which is the best I can do since tower climbing isn\u2019t my sole hustle.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Eiffel Tower is the only structure I\u2019ve climbed that is advertised as a race, and it\u2019s an exclusive one at that. It\u2019s a televised event that takes place at night, and there are about 130 participants, who are divided into three groups: elites, amateurs and \u201cwild cards.\u201d As part of my application for the 2017 climb, I submitted a doctor\u2019s note, evidence of my athleticism, and a letter addressed to the coordinators written partially in French. \u00a0Discovering that I\u2019d been accepted remains one of my biggest honors, and, as I do prior to all my climbs, I danced before running down the red carpet to the tower. There are no words that can adequately describe what it\u2019s like to race up 1,665 narrow steps, with nothing between you and the open air but latticed iron, and the chocolate and macaroons waiting for us at the top was a nice touch. When my breathing returned to normal, I absorbed the beauty of the Parisian skyline and the Seine. \u00a0It was one of the moments when I felt most alive but make no mistake, the tower does wobble a bit when you climb, so if you\u2019re scared of that and\/or heights, it\u2019s best to not apply.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I\u2019m the kind of person who likes to try things that are different, and while taking the stairs isn\u2019t all that extraordinary, ascending buildings with far more stairs than a five-floor walk-up, isn\u2019t something most would enthusiastically do. I like to joke that there must be something off about those of us who participate because it\u2019s really quite absurd. But the absurdity is part of the appeal, at least in my eyes. I often use my social media platforms to share what this sport has done for me. It has bettered my stamina, increased my overall confidence, and it has introduced new characters to the wild movie that is my life.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What structure will I conquer next? Time will tell\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

 
http:\/\/credit-n.ru\/zaymyi-next.html<\/a>
http:\/\/credit-n.ru\/zaymyi-next.html<\/a>
http:\/\/credit-n.ru\/zaymyi-next.html<\/a>
http:\/\/credit-n.ru\/zaymyi-next.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI\u2019m an athlete.\u201d \u201cOh, great. What kind of sport do you play?\u201d \u201cI\u2019m a tower climber!\u201d When I say this, there\u2019s a flash of shock or confusion on the face of the other person, and I have to clarify that I\u2019m referring to the stairs,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":63469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/147"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63441"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69793,"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63441\/revisions\/69793"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellvyl.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}