– I would have liked to say ‘yes’, and I would participate again, but I think one race is enough for me, says Delaney Irving to NRK.
You’ve definitely seen the ticket before. On YouTube, social media or at the end of Kfeldsnet: Dozens of men and women running up a steep hill in search of a three-kilogram piece of cheese.
The official name of the contest is Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling, but the event is in no way official.
According to him, the extreme sports competition is so dangerous that the police previously tried to stop him Hey ho. Local authorities also decided, as a result of “security concerns,” that health workers and emergency services would not be present, the local newspaper wrote. Gloucestershire live.
the Still, that doesn’t stop competition fans from all over the world from traveling to Cooper’s Hill in the village of Brockworth in the British county of Gloucestershire to fight for glory, honor and cheese.
-Still…in shock
For 19-year-old Delaney Irving, who happened to be on holiday in England when the competition was held this summer, the trip down the hill was extra special.
In her first appearance, the Canadian surprised everyone and thanked both the nominees and the veterans in the women’s category.
-I’m still in shock because I won the race. I had known about the competition for a while, and my father would show me and my siblings clips of people participating, and I always thought it looked fun, she says, adding:
– Who would have thought that I would participate and win the competition? says Irving.
Irving’s image later traveled around the world. Not because she won, but because of the strange way it happened.
Old tradition
Few, if any, have more experience with this particular tradition than Jim Wakeman. He is one of the two organizers and is called the “Master of Ceremony.”
Wakeman says the origin is somewhat uncertain, but he claims the tradition dates back to the 11th century.
One theory says that it was initially about a struggle for rights, while another theory says that burning brush was first thrown from a cliff, marking the beginning of a new year after winter.
What is absolutely certain is that the grass can make even the most hardened people tremble. BBC Write that the slope is an insane 45 degrees and the cheese can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour.
– No one died, Wakeman tells NRK.
He himself participated 28 times. It resulted in head injuries and shoulder pain. Between Anna.
-We try to make it as safe as possible. “But how can we make a sport like this safe?” he says, pointing to the ground.
Delaney Irving said she almost felt nauseous from the tension as she stood at the top.
– Pictures and videos do not do justice on the ground. When I stood at the top, I couldn’t see the ground unless I was on the edge. It’s too steep, she says.
came out – spread widely
This time too, the competition was marred by injuries. Since there are no health personnel as in other sporting events, the organizer must call an ambulance and the police every time a serious injury occurs.
According to the BBC, one of the participants was taken to hospital. Irving may suffer the same fate soon.
Before the 19-year-old reached the finish line, his head hit the ground hard. Then he unconsciously rolled across the finish line – and achieved victory.
– I was told that I was unconscious for two minutes, but I don’t remember anything from the first ten minutes after the fall. It’s a picture of me after I woke up, holding the cheese in disbelief. She admits that I don’t remember those blinks at all.
Irving felt like the volunteers were worried about her after the race. They should have called an ambulance, but they stopped her when she started thinking again.
Irving believes it’s a miracle she wasn’t seriously injured.
-I had a lot of cuts and bruises all over my body which made me feel pain when walking. I also had a severe concussion that left me vomiting and dizzy for a week, Irving says.
A simple search of the name “Delaney Irving” shows that the particular winner has made headlines around the world. Major media outlets such as the BBC, CBC News, The Guardian and Yahoo News have written about it.
– In the week following my victory, I conducted many interviews for television programs, newspapers, and websites. It was crazy that all these people knew who I was. When I returned to Canada, there were people who recognized me at work and elsewhere, congratulating me and asking me questions about the race. She says: It was a very wonderful experience.
“Infuriatingly humble internet trailblazer. Twitter buff. Beer nerd. Bacon scholar. Coffee practitioner.”