born in South Africa<\/a> took on 600 monkey bars that were fixed under the arch of the Bloukrans Bridge, en route to besting the longest set of bars ever built. And, as if this weren\u2019t tough (or insane) enough, van Tonder had to follow the arch of the bridge, forcing him to to deal with an elevation and descent, all while his lactic acid was fit to burst.<\/p>\nAt its peak, the bridge stood 216 meters above ground level, with van Tonder taking on 280 meters in distance. But on Oct. 26, 2026, the able athlete finished his perilous journey in 47 minutes and 37 seconds.<\/p>\n
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How Did Thomas van Tonder Cross Africa\u2019s Highest Bridge by Hand?<\/h2>\n
Van Tonder took on the most monkey bars, at the highest level, for the longest distance, but there were times when he questioned himself. \u201cFrom the middle segment to the end, I was unsure if I\u2019d actually make it,\u201d he explained after he got firmly back on land.<\/p>\n
To complete the challenge, van Tonder made strategic breaks by resting his legs on the bars, but this presented additional difficulties. \u201cThere were many points where I was on the edge of being able to actually get my legs up or not. It was definitely not a given.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the finish line, van Tonder was truly spent, and suffered with serious skin loss on his hands, but then making history was never easy. \u201cOne of the hardest things I\u2019ve ever done,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
Well, we\u2019ll certainly never look at a set of monkey bars the same way again!<\/p>\n
You can see the amazing feat in full, below.<\/p>\n