Another brilliant piece from a GUNNAS WRITING MASTERCLASS WRITER.
I watch Jane demonstrate. “That looks scary,” I say. “I don’t want to do it.”
She smiles, looks at me quizzically and, is that a touch of frustration? “Sure, it’s pretty sensible to be scared, it’s a pretty stupid thing to do”.
I let the others go first. I watch them intently, their nervous comments and banter buffeting me like hip high surf.
It’s my turn. I wipe my hands on my leggings, take a deep breath and try to remember what Jane said. My hands clutch the bar. I spring up and my feet cross under then flick over the bar. I take my right leg off and behind the bar then stretch it up, straight. Flexing my foot hard, I bring it down slowly so my shins scrape along the bar until my foot lands. I put my left foot behind the bar and stretch it to the ceiling. My hamstring screams as I pull the foot down toward the bar. My butt starts yelling too. I remember to drop my hips and my foot gets closer to the bar. I watch the foot. There is nothing but my left foot. Get the foot on the bar. I repeat this and gradually something gives, until my left foot sits next to my right, the bar resting at the bottom of my shins. Breathe. I take my hands off the bar and, holding on to the straps, slowly, slowly, lean back and down, let go of the straps, and stretch my arms wide until I’m looking up at myself, hanging from a bar by my feet.
I’m hanging, from a steel bar, by my feet.
Oh Jesus I’m hanging from a bar by my feet. Oh shit, that hurts. What’ll happen if I stop flexing my feet, don’t stop flexing your feet, oh God that hurts, don’t stop flexing. Oh shit…
I fall.
Thankfully its only three and half centimetres onto my back on the mat. My classmates cheer. I feel that for a moment and glow.
Jane is enthusiastic. “That’s fantastic, that’s nearly a trick, you’ve got it, you’ve just got to…”
And the glow fades. I focus back on to what she’s saying. Next time I’ll try it without the guiding straps, aim for a five second hang, and walk my hands up the back of my legs to return them to the bar.
I take a deep breath, wipe my hands on my leggings, then walk up to the bar.