The climb included sections of ropes, trails and vertical walls. […]
Ever since Jéssica Paula had a throat infection that spread to her spinal cord and left her paraplegic at the age of six, her life has been dedicated to learning. She has had to relearn how to sit, how to use a wheelchair, how to walk with a walker, and… how to climb Sugarloaf Mountain.
To celebrate the National Day of Struggle for People with Disabilities, this September 21st, the Travel at a rate remember the story of this woman from Goiás del Rio Verde who became the first paraplegic woman to climb one of the walls of this hill complex, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ).
“Dare”, as she herself would say, to inspire other people to challenge the first no they receive.
What most motivated her to leave her place of comfort (and her crutches aside) to see Rio from another point of view was feeling that she would not be able to do so, due to the degree of difficulty and her physical condition.
“Self-confidence is the hardest thing to achieve. It’s looking at something that’s never been done before and saying you can be the first. You have to support yourself, but sometimes we’re afraid we can’t do it,” said journalist Eduardo Vessoni, days before the climb.A
The 33-year-old from Goiás faced the escalaminhada (walking on uphill paths) on terrain with a slope of up to 75°, on a granite rock of almost 400 meters and sections with rope climbing, paths and vertical walls.
But desire is not enough, preparation is also needed.
Jéssica enlisted the help of a coordinator in Costão do Pão de Açúcar, one of the most popular routes among climbers.
If for some it is just a path, for Jéssica the experience was a challenging climb, whose most complex point is the crux, as each of the most difficult sections of this sport is called, which in the case of Pão de Açúcar was a 30-meter vertical climb, divided into four stages.
“Before bringing the technique [da escalada]Him [o coordenador] understood how my body worked. For me it was a great option”, says Jéssica who, due to the lack of strength in her legs, had to drag herself or lean on the guide, in places where she usually walks.
Since an empty bag doesn’t sit still, it all started with changes in her diet.
Jéssica started eating more and at more regular times, eating more carbohydrates, as she uses “three times more energy than a non-disabled person to carry out activities.”
Further help has come from personal trainer specialized in training people with physical disabilities, alternating days of rest and training with exercises to strengthen the abdomen, back and shoulders (one of their weak points), as well as balance and isometric exercises, when the muscle is worked without the need for movement on the part of the athlete.
“The main challenge was to strengthen and protect the muscles in my shoulders and back because when climbing I needed to lift my own weight,” says the journalist who, to test her skills, also practiced on a wall. indoorin São Paulo, and the abseiling on Morro do Maluf, in Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo.
Beautiful and complete at the Sugarloaf
As Jéssica also said, on the day of the climb, she got up at 4:30 to… put on her makeup.
“Whatever happens, I will be beautiful and full,” she warned.
The challenge, which directly and indirectly involved about 40 people, started early to avoid the highest midday sun and ended just eight hours later. A climber without limited mobility, for example, would take three to four hours to complete the climb. By the end, she also remembers that she was tired and began to stumble in places she normally wouldn’t.
“The hardest thing I’ve ever done, I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I want to go down with the cable car,” he joked, when it was time to go back.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
