‘It goes straight down into my stomach’: Meet the world’s most unlikely sword-swallower – a five-foot-three inches tall Mormon woman who grew up dreaming of a job on Coney Island
- Heather Holliday is one of the world’s best but unlikeliest sword swallowers who grew up as Morman in New York
- At the age of 17, Ms Holliday got an internship at Coney Island and soon joined the attraction’s sideshow group
- It was then she trained how to swallow up to two feet of steel, as well as neon glass bulbs and fire
- Ms Holliday and her performance group LIMBO are performing this week at the Port Douglas Carnivale
Standing at just five-feet-three inches tall, Heather Holliday is turning heads and churning stomachs as one of the youngest sword swallowers in the world.
Ms Holliday, who was raised as a Mormon in New York City, burst into the sideshow performance scene at the age of 17 when she got an internship at the world famous Coney Island Circus Sideshow, according to ABC.
Donning dozens of tattoos and bright, bedazzled costumes, Ms Holliday is now a long way from her Mormon upbringing and entertaining crowds in dozens of countries with her ability to swallow up to two feet of steel and fire.
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Heather Holliday (pictured), who was raised as a Morman, is turning heads as one of the youngest sword swallowers in the world and is now bringing her act to Australia
Ms Holliday (pictured), who was raised in New York City, burst into the sideshow performance scene at the age of 17 when she got an internship at the world famous Coney Island Circus Sideshow
Included in her act, Ms Holliday places six swords down her throat at the same time (pictured)
Donning dozens of tattoos and bright, bedazzled costumes, Ms Holliday (pictured) is now a long way from her Mormon upbringing
As a teenager, Ms Holliday fulfilled a lifelong dream of working in the Coney Island entertainment district when she was hired at the attraction’s museum.
She didn’t stay in the mundane role for long.
‘One of the performers quit so there was a cast shortage and they needed a girl on stage to do some magician assistant work,’ Ms Holliday said.
She now entertains crowds in dozens of countries with her ability to swallow up to two feet of steel and fire (pictured)
As a teenager, Ms Holliday (pictured) fulfilled a lifelong dream of working in the Coney Island entertainment district when she was hired at the attraction’s museum
One of the Coney Island sideshow performers soon quit to perform in Texas and Ms Holliday (pictured) jumped at the chance to join
‘One of the performers quit so there was a cast shortage and they needed a girl on stage to do some magician assistant work,’ Ms Holliday (pictured) said
Ms Holliday (pictured) then began studying and practicing how to swollow swords
It was then she began studying sideshow performance and began practicing how to swallow swords – an incredibly difficult skill that took a lot of practice and patience, Ms Holliday said.
‘It’s a really interesting process of overcoming your gag reflex, but it’s just like anything else that you put your body through — you’re training your body to be okay with what you’re doing.’
‘The swords go straight down my oesophagus and into my stomach.’
Ms Holliday and her performance group LIMBO spent several weeks earlier this year performing in Tasmania, Perth and Melbourne (pictured)
Sword swallowing is an incredibly difficult skill that took a lot of practice and patience, Ms Holliday said (pictured)
‘It’s a really interesting process of overcoming your gag reflex, but it’s just like anything else that you put your body through — you’re training your body to be okay with what you’re doing’
‘The swords go straight down my oesophagus and into my stomach,’ she said (pictured)
Ms Holliday (pictured) soon became the youngest sword swallower in the world and is now regarded as one of the best
Ms Holliday soon became the youngest sword swallower in the world and is now regarded as one of the best.
She said her new career quickly began to turn heads because of her height – or lack thereof.
Most sword swallowers are taller, stockier men, Ms Holliday said.
She said her new career quickly began to turn heads because of her height – or lack thereof
Most sword swallowers are taller, stockier men, Ms Holliday (pictured) said
She also likes to play with fire during her performances and swallows a glass neon bulb that lights up while inside her oesophagus.
With her glamorous outfits and retro style, Ms Holliday has been the subject of numerous photo shoots and will be showing off her skills this week in Port Douglas with her travelling performance group LIMBO at the Port Douglas Carnivale.
The group spent several weeks earlier this year performing in Tasmania, Perth and Melbourne.
She (pictured) also likes to play with fire during her performances and swallows a glass neon bulb that lights up while inside her oesophagus
With her glamorous outfits and retro style, Ms Holliday has been the subject of numerous photo shoots
She will be showing off her skills this week in Port Douglas with her travelling performance group LIMBO at the Port Douglas Carnivale
London Wonderground – LIMBO ‘Meet the cast’ – Heather Holliday, Sword Swallower. from Akademi Portal on Vimeo.
