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One giant step instills big dose of confidence

   On Aug. 22, I took part in my first ropes course.
   I knew before I signed up that I would probably be doing some sort of climbing, and heights have always bothered me. Yet, being an athletic, daring person, I didn't let my fears stop me from participating in all of the events. I completed most fairly easily. however, one event game me a very hard time: The giant's ladder.
   The object of this exercise is for two people to climb together up to the top of a 30 ft., ladder and touch the highest beam. The ladder was not a typical ladder. It was made out of 6 wooden 4x4's strung together with a heavy wire cable. It hung from another wooden beam many feet above the ground. Since it was not secured on the bottom, it tended to sway. To climb it my partner and I were only to use the wooden beams or each other for support.
   My partner was Jim Ross, a reporter for The Herald-Dispatch. I would not describe Jim as the athletic type. However, he is tall and thin and appears to be in good shape.
   I had never really spent any time with Jim before, yet, I was glad that I'd been paired with him simply because he looked like he could handle the event.
   Once given the signal from our leaders, we eagerly began our ascent up the ladder.
   The first couple of beams seemed fairly easy. Jim and I managed to pull ourselves up with very little help from each other. But as we climbed higher, we realized in dismay that the beams got farther and farther apart and became difficult for me to reach. I relied heavily on Jim to help me through the next couple of levels. I felt lucky to get someone with long arms as a partner.
   My luck wore out, however, near the end, when Jim's elbow began to bother him and his strength faded. He couldn't climb the last wooden beam without getting some help from me. I knew it was my job to get us through this last level. This meant reaching the final beam on my own and helping Jim to the top.
   Pulling myself over the second-to-last beam, I sat on top of the wood. All that I needed to do next was stand up, reach above my head and grab on to the last part of the ladder. A simple task - a quick easy movement - one would think.
   Unfortunately, at that moment, my fears took over. I must have realized how high we had climbed because all I could think about was how much I didn't want to fall.
   I sat on that beam for what seemed like several minutes, trying to persuade myself to stand up. Jim and other people in our group kept encouraging me to stand up. ("You can do it, Karen. Just a little farther!") I, however, couldn't seem to let go of the beam. I was holding on for dear life.
   After a long, painful, mental debate with myself ("Do it! Don't do it! Do it! Don't..."), I finally took a huge chance - risking falling down about 25 feet - and stood up.
   I made it!
   Standing tall, I wrapped my arms around the final beam and held on tight. In my head I was celebrating my victory - but, I had to remind myself that I wasn't done yet. I still needed to help Jim reach the top.
   This wasn't easy. No longer was I relying on Jim's strength to help me up. Jim was relying on mine.
   I had no idea how I was going to help my partner up to the last level, but I remember trying everything I could to help him. At one point, I yelled down to him, "Jim, shinny up my leg!"
   With that, I held tight to the final board above me and braced myself as the weight of Jim's body pulled on me...I remember saying fairly confidently, "Don't worry about your weight, Jim, climb up my body; I've got you." These statements make me laugh now; but, when I said them, I was completely serious.
   After a couple more minutes of tugging, pulling and hanging on for dear life, we managed to get Jim up to the last level, and we stood side by side at the top of the ladder.
   Together, we had reached our goal.

The Herald-Dispatch, August 1995

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