Meet the professional highliner who walks wires 400ft in the air despite having a fear of heights.<br /><br />Taylor St Germain, 25, got into the sport through an ex-boyfriend who was a keen slackliner - balancing on a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors. <br /><br />Taylor would force herself to sit on the line to try and conquer her fear of heights.<br /><br />In February 2021, her then-boyfriend entered an online competition called the Pandemic Open where freestyle high-line walkers submitted videos of their best tricks.<br /><br />But he dislocated his elbow elbow and wasn't able to compete - so Taylor took his place and came fourth.<br /><br />Since then, Taylor has overcome her fear, entered four competitions - winning two - and is due to compete in the Highline World Championships in Laax, Switzerland later this month.<br /><br />Taylor, a saleswoman and athlete, from Toronto, Canada, said: "I started working at a rock climbing gym.<br /><br />"I was terrified of heights and I was looking at the top, wondering how people go up to the top.<br /><br />"Working there I slowly overcame my fear of heights.<br /><br />"I was introduced to slacklining and through that I found highlining.<br /><br />"One of the highest lines I have done is in Canada and it is 400 metres from the ground.<br /><br />"I haven't completely overcome my fears and sometimes can get nervous before I go across."<br /><br />Taylor's then-boyfriend was really into slacklining and Taylor would watch him.<br /><br />She tried going onto the lines then gained the confidence to go highlining - the sport of walking across rope or wire between two high points.<br /><br />She said: "I thought it was so cool, after watching my boyfriend do it I eventually wanted to do it and thought I should do it.<br /><br />"Little by little I was forcing myself to go out onto the line.<br /><br />"Most of the time I would spend time on the line just sitting there and feeling comfortable with the line.<br /><br />"I started getting more and more comfortable, I am definitely not over the fear but it has helped.<br /><br />"On the weekend I was on a line 100 metre from the ground and I was scared."<br /><br />During lockdown, her then-partner entered an online competition called the Pandemic Open. <br /><br />People would submit videos of their best trick and a winner would be chosen.<br /><br />Taylor's boyfriend at the time broke his elbow and wasn't able to compete but suggested she should.<br /><br />Taylor said: "He ended up taking me out and teaching me how to bounce and do basic tricks.<br /><br />"I competed in that competition and came fourth."<br /><br />Since then, Taylor has competed in four competitions, coming first in two of them and is competing in the Highline World Championships later this month.<br /><br />Now, Taylor has started freestyle highlining and incorporated skills and tricks while crossing the wire.<br /><br />She said: "The reason I started in the sport was to overcome the mental challenge, with free styling, I wasn't just walking I was doing tricks too.<br /><br />"Even after the tricks became less scary, I was doing it in front of a crowd and that was scary.<br /><br />"I am still in the pursuit of driving myself out of my comfort zone - that keeps me going but the sport is also enjoyable to me."<br /><br />Taylor is ranked number two in the world on the International Slackline Association and wants to encourage more women to get involved in the sport.<br /><br />She said: "A lot of people will presume that I don't do the sport.<br /><br />"When I am highlining with my friends, people walk by so many people will ask if we all do this.<br /><br />"I say yes and they look at me and go 'even you?'.<br /><br />"I wanted to encourage more women to do this and push their limits."
