Champion cliff diver Rhiannan Iffland rode a water slide at an Austrian park that bans women, hoping to make a point about limits.
Rhiannan Iffland has won a record 10 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series titles in a row, and she’s spent her career telling women and girls not to let anyone else set their limits.
So on a recent trip to Austria, she went to Area 47 water park and spotted a slide that women aren’t allowed on.
She got on it anyway and filmed the whole ride for social media, hoping it would push other women to try things that scare them.
The sign is about safety, not sexism
While the sign might look sexist, it’s a safety concern. The slide reportedly hits 50 mph, and medical sources warn that high-pressure water entering the body can cause serious internal injuries.
Medical journals describe women suffering serious internal injuries when high-pressure water is forced into the body, which has been reported after water skiing, jet skiing and on water slides.
While these injuries are uncommon, they can be life-threatening and cause severe bleeding and tearing that needs surgery.
Iffland didn’t know this, she had only ever seen rides restricted by height and weight. She told news.com.au she couldn’t see what would be dangerous apart from the speed, but she knew she’d messed up the second she sat down. She didn’t fail to see the humor in the whole ordeal and titled the video on her Instagram: “Here for a good time not a long time! Another YOLO moment in my life.”
She also wanted to clarify she never meant to mock the safety rules.
“A person’s safety is paramount, and I am constantly weighing up any danger with my job,” she said.
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