Perth woman sets world record as oldest person to do handstand
A 75-year-old Perth woman has turned the record books upside down, becoming the world's oldest person to perform a handstand.
Perth woman Esther Fischer has turned the record books upside down, becoming the world's oldest person to perform a handstand.
To break the world record, the 75-year-old retiree had to hold the stance for at least 15 seconds with no assistance.
On August 31, she did not just break the record - she smashed it.
"I did 55 seconds, not just 15," she said.
"If you Google me, who's the oldest person who can hold a handstand, my name comes up.
Ms Fischer said the idea was struck over a coffee with friends, after someone questioned who might have held such a record.
Their research told them it was a 74-year-old man from the United States.
"The girls said to me, 'Esther, you can do that,'" Ms Fischer said.
"And I looked at his handstands online on the Guinness Book of Records, and I thought, yeah, I can do that, I think."
Ms Fischer said that while she could already do a handstand, it was not something she mastered overnight.
"It just took ages and ages and ages and one day I hit it.
Her accomplishment has inspired others to take on the challenge.
The gym where Ms Fischer has been a member for 10 years introduced a longevity class.
Gym owner Jacob Moffitt said the class is about helping people 60 and over get strong.
"[It improves] their quality of movement and their quality of life," he said.
"Esther's one of the primary students of that class as well, and that's now attracted probably half a dozen [people] that come along to that class regularly."
Mr Moffitt said Ms Fischer is a good example that people can start at any time.
"She was never a gymnast, was never an athlete in her youth, she just started at 65 years old or 64, I think and then went from there," he said.
Ms Fischer said she is proud of her accomplishment but is already setting her mind to a new goal.
"I'm working on a one-arm [handstand]," she said.
"I've been doing that for two years now, and it's very hard.
"I could be the oldest person to do it, but I don't know whether it's going to work or not."
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