Koala’s are the newest gym inspiration, thanks to a viral challenge. Even professional athletes are now taking tips from the bamboo-eating marsupials. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes did the Koala Challenge with his wife and fitness trainer, Brittany Matthews. And their first attempt is actually incredibly impressive.
They challenge involves one person climbing around another person’s waist, then scaling over their head and between their lengths to complete another full rotation. It clearly involves a lot of finessing, strength and problem-solving for both partie
In their attempt, Matthews has no problem circling around Mahomes’ waist—aside from an accidental kick to the balls. Matthews then clumsy climbs over Mahomes’ head, making it to the dreaded upside-down position. And that’s when it all goes to hell.
Matthews tries to climb through Mahomes’ legs without touching the ground, but it’s clearly a fight. Matthews almost makes it, but falls after several seconds of trying to figure out how to pop up.
Matthews tries to climb through Mahomes’ legs without touching the ground, but it’s clearly a fight. Matthews almost makes it, but falls after several seconds of trying to figure out how to pop up.
“First attempt,” Matthews captioned the video on Instagram. “There will be more.”
The Koala Challenge has been circulating on social media since early 2019 as a fitness feat either done with a partner or on a flat exercise bench. But as wildfires devastated Australia in late 2019, the challenge became a way to raise money for relief efforts. That give back component has now seemed to fizzle out, but the challenge is still a stellar test of strength—and a way to kill a chunk of time while in quarantine.
The Koala Challenge is similar to “table bouldering,” which rock climbers made viral in 2016 as another type of fitness challenge. This test has climbers scaling a table from all angles, not another human.
