Francois-Marie Dibon since childhood was very afraid of heights and tried to dive from the pool wall.
But now, the 44-year-old French tennis player is determined to set a new world record for most bungee jumps in 24 hours.
Mr Dibon, who works as a calculus in Stockholm, will attempt to break the record set by New Zealander Mike Heard, 35, who completed 430 jumps from the Auckland Wharf in a single day in 2017.
Mr Dibon will hop from Garry Bridge near Killiecrankie in Perthshire, operated by Highland Fling Bungee in Scotland, jumping through the night while relying on short breaks and naps.
“We’ve been thinking about this for the past five and a half years, with ups and downs and some bottlenecks along the way,” he said.
“It takes a lot of trained staff to do things like this. Then the pandemic hit and the travel restrictions made it difficult for me to get from Sweden to Scotland.
“Now good karma. The stars are aligned.”
In March, Mr. Dibon suffered the equivalent of seasickness from having to move up and down repeatedly on an elastic bungee cord.
Photo: Highland Fling Bungee
But after 25 hours a week in the gym, focusing on cardio and core exercises, and learning breathing techniques, he feels ready to hit the record books.
He said: “Like most people, I don’t like pain and I don’t like fear but I love the idea of facing your fears and trying to overcome them.
“During a week after my first jump, my body ached from the stress, but then I realized that this is good for me.”
A bungee jump every 200 seconds
Mr Dibon will need to complete a jump approximately every 200 seconds, supervised by a judge from the Guinness Book of Records.
His record-setting attempt is scheduled to begin Tuesday morning and he will be joined by a support team for what he describes as a collective effort.
“Without me there is no record, without the team I would just do a one-shot,” he said.
“In 24 hours you only have 1,440 minutes.
“It sounds like a lot but when you’re pressed for time, every second we lose, if you multiply it by hundreds you’re losing time.
“Everybody’s role is very important.”
Laurie Thomas, dance master and operations manager at Highland Fling Bungee, said: “When Francois first danced with us, he fell in love with the place.
“It was great to be joining him, and the whole team will put this on their CVs forever. Hopefully we’re celebrating the success.”
