Fitness coach to climb the height of the world’s tallest building after recovering from Covid

Even a superhero would hesitate to climb a rope as high as the tallest building in the world in two hours.

But looking at fitness coach Harri Pereira’s muscles, readers might be tempted to think he can do it (once they have recovered from swooning).

Harri is going to great heights with his extreme challenge in memory of his late mother – days after recovering from tonsillitis and before that from Covid earlier in the month.

He plans to climb a rope the equivalent of the length of the world’s tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, on Saturday.

He will have to use all his upper body strength to pull himself the distance of over half a mile — 163 storeys — a feat which the 26-year-old from Elms Lane, Battersea is hoping to complete within 120 minutes.

It could hurt your eyes just to watch.

It is the fourth of 12 fundraisers Harri is planning for the ovarian cancer support charity Ovacome this year.

So far he has raised over £10,000 by completing 2,590 burpees, two marathons in 48 hours and 828 push-ups wearing a weighted vest.

Harri, who has just recovered from having Covid earlier this month, says that cheered on by his dad, his younger brother and other family and friends on the day, he is confident of hitting his target.

“I’m aiming for two rope climbs every minute for 45 minutes and then one every
minute,” said Harri. “I have been out of action for three weeks, but I am feeling fresh in preparation for the challenge.

“I don’t think the rope climb will be as physically hard as the burpees or as mentally draining as the big run.

“It’s down to my mum bringing me up to be kind and to do good, positive things with what we’ve been dealt.

“When she did pass, it made these challenges even more important and emotional for me to do in her honour and memory, celebrating her life and the impact she had.

“I’m very ambitious and want to push myself physically and mentally to become a stronger, resilient person.”

The charity supported Harri’s mother Michaela during her eight and a half years of having ovarian cancer.

Ovacome has come up with the B.E.A.T. acronym, highlighting the main signs of the disease:

B is for bloating that does not come and go;
E is for eating difficulty and feeling full more quickly;
A is for abdominal or pelvic pain you feel most days and
T is for toilet changes in urination or bowel habits.

His donation page is at: ovacome.org.uk/fundraisers/12-in-12-for-our-women 

You can follow Harri and tag him in your challenges on Instagram here and on Facebook here using the hashtag #Ovacome12in12