India Breaking News reported Taiwanese Tree Climber Impresses at Asia Pacific Event, that a Taiwanese tree climber surprised herself with a strong performance at the 2023 Asia-Pacific Tree Climbing Championships. She is Taiwan’s first individual to become a Certified Arborist Climbing Expert. The event, predominantly dominated by climbers from Australia and New Zealand, took place in Singapore towards the end of April.

Asia Pacific event

Despite her own expectations, Ms. Xu advanced to the finals after achieving third place in one of the five preliminary events. “I know I will lose, but I still want to participate,” Ms. Xu stated in an early May interview with China Central News Agency (CNA), acknowledging Taiwan’s comparative lack of progress in the sport.

At the moment the winner was announced, Ms. Xu was taken aback to realize she was the one being named. She had received her certification from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) in 2017.

The Singapore competition’s preliminary stage included five events: aerial rescue, speed climbing, climbing, rope throwing, and work climbing. Ms. Xu excelled particularly in the climbing event, a speed challenge that tests the competitor’s ability to quickly set up their climbing gear from the ground, ascend to a bell hung over ten meters high on a branch, and then time their descent. She secured third place in this event with a time of 27.82 seconds, following Australia’s Jess Hamer, who clocked in at 11.77 seconds.

Ms. Xu ultimately placed fifth out of 19 competitors after all preliminary events, which was not sufficient to advance to the championship’s Masters Challenge stage. However, she regarded it as a significant achievement. She entered the competition hoping to meet and learn from climbers from other countries, observing their techniques.

Although Ms. Xu has been successful in regional competitions, like taking first place at the 2018 Malaysian Tree Climbing Meet and finishing second at the Hong Kong Tree Climbing Championships, she had not previously made a notable impact at international events.

Reflecting on her experiences, Ms. Xu acknowledged feeling often frustrated post-competition, pondering what she might have done better. Nonetheless, she remains eager to face more international challenges to enhance her skills.

Taiwanese tree climber surprises herself

Born in 1994, Ms. Xu’s passion for tree climbing extends beyond mere competition. She organized a women-only tree climbing summer camp in Taiwan in 2020, aiming to encourage more women to join her unique but relatively niche profession. “The view from the top of a tree and the breeze you feel are worth trying,” said Ms. Xu, who aspires to become Asia’s “Queen of Trees.”