"I'm a pro highliner walking on wires 400ft in air but I'm scared of heights"
- 2 days ago
Meet the professional highliner who walks wires 400ft in the air despite having a fear of heights.
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.
Taylor would force herself to sit on the line to try and conquer her fear of heights.
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.
But he dislocated his elbow elbow and wasn't able to compete - so Taylor took his place and came fourth.
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.
Taylor, a saleswoman and athlete, from Toronto, Canada, said: "I started working at a rock climbing gym.
"I was terrified of heights and I was looking at the top, wondering how people go up to the top.
"Working there I slowly overcame my fear of heights.
"I was introduced to slacklining and through that I found highlining.
"One of the highest lines I have done is in Canada and it is 400 metres from the ground.
"I haven't completely overcome my fears and sometimes can get nervous before I go across."
Taylor's then-boyfriend was really into slacklining and Taylor would watch him.
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.
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.
"Little by little I was forcing myself to go out onto the line.
"Most of the time I would spend time on the line just sitting there and feeling comfortable with the line.
"I started getting more and more comfortable, I am definitely not over the fear but it has helped.
"On the weekend I was on a line 100 metre from the ground and I was scared."
During lockdown, her then-partner entered an online competition called the Pandemic Open.
People would submit videos of their best trick and a winner would be chosen.
Taylor's boyfriend at the time broke his elbow and wasn't able to compete but suggested she should.
Taylor said: "He ended up taking me out and teaching me how to bounce and do basic tricks.
"I competed in that competition and came fourth."
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.
Now, Taylor has started freestyle highlining and incorporated skills and tricks while crossing the wire.
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.
"Even after the tricks became less scary, I was doing it in front of a crowd and that was scary.
"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."
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.
She said: "A lot of people will presume that I don't do the sport.
"When I am highlining with my friends, people walk by so many people will ask if we all do this.
"I say yes and they look at me and go 'even you?'.
"I wanted to encourage more women to do this and push their limits."
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.
Taylor would force herself to sit on the line to try and conquer her fear of heights.
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.
But he dislocated his elbow elbow and wasn't able to compete - so Taylor took his place and came fourth.
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.
Taylor, a saleswoman and athlete, from Toronto, Canada, said: "I started working at a rock climbing gym.
"I was terrified of heights and I was looking at the top, wondering how people go up to the top.
"Working there I slowly overcame my fear of heights.
"I was introduced to slacklining and through that I found highlining.
"One of the highest lines I have done is in Canada and it is 400 metres from the ground.
"I haven't completely overcome my fears and sometimes can get nervous before I go across."
Taylor's then-boyfriend was really into slacklining and Taylor would watch him.
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.
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.
"Little by little I was forcing myself to go out onto the line.
"Most of the time I would spend time on the line just sitting there and feeling comfortable with the line.
"I started getting more and more comfortable, I am definitely not over the fear but it has helped.
"On the weekend I was on a line 100 metre from the ground and I was scared."
During lockdown, her then-partner entered an online competition called the Pandemic Open.
People would submit videos of their best trick and a winner would be chosen.
Taylor's boyfriend at the time broke his elbow and wasn't able to compete but suggested she should.
Taylor said: "He ended up taking me out and teaching me how to bounce and do basic tricks.
"I competed in that competition and came fourth."
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.
Now, Taylor has started freestyle highlining and incorporated skills and tricks while crossing the wire.
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.
"Even after the tricks became less scary, I was doing it in front of a crowd and that was scary.
"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."
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.
She said: "A lot of people will presume that I don't do the sport.
"When I am highlining with my friends, people walk by so many people will ask if we all do this.
"I say yes and they look at me and go 'even you?'.
"I wanted to encourage more women to do this and push their limits."