Putri Nur Aisyah Mohamad Rizal, Nur Husna Safiya Mohd Zulhusmi, and her younger sister Nur Hanis Syuhada Mohd Zulhusmi have been participating in the extreme sport of tree climbing for years.
Putri Aisyah, who hails from Hulu Langat, Selangor, shared that she would frequently accompany her father, who is passionate about the sport, on his own tree-climbing expeditions.
“At first, I wasn’t interested – I was afraid. But after receiving encouragement and support from my parents, I gathered the courage,” the 14-year-old told Bernama recently.
“I climbed my first tree in Kajang, Selangor, after receiving training from the Malaysia Tree Climbing Association (MTCA) and my father,” she added, noting that it had been 15m high.
The oldest of three siblings said she was encouraged to pursue the activity by her MTCA coaches, and was further reassured by the stringent safety protocols.
“I was trained to build muscle and leg endurance for climbing, as well as techniques for descent, which require strong balance. We were also provided with special equipment like ropes, gloves and safety helmets.”
Husna Safiya, 13, shared that she gets a sense of joy from successfully climbing to the top of a tree.
“At first, I felt dizzy and scared – as soon as I reached the top, I wanted to come down quickly. But once I got used to it, that feeling disappeared.
“Now I want to stay up there longer because it feels satisfying to have made the climb,” she said.
As for 11-year-old Hanis Syuhada, tree climbing is much more rewarding than playing online games.
“I started challenging myself after seeing my sister successfully climb. This sport is fun because it’s a great way to work out, and I’ve also made many new friends among the members of MTCA.”
Meanwhile, Putri Aisyah’s mother Siti Hawa Yahya shared that although she was initially worried for her daughter’s safety, her concerns eased once she found out that the training was conducted by experienced and professional coaches.
“This activity has not only taught my child to handle emergencies with discipline,” she said, “it has also built her self-confidence and given her exposure to interact with people from all walks of life.”