To be fit enough to be shot out of a cannon, many would imagine they would have to spend hours in the gym – and follow a diet that is closely monitored for calories, protein and other nutrients.
But circus member Skyler Miser – from one of America’s few “gun pilot” families – revealed that the preparation is actually less strenuous than people might think.
The 20-year-old doesn’t spend long hours in the gym, and when she visits occasionally, she only performs low-impact movements, such as squats, to increase strength in her legs.
More important to her, she told DailyMail.com, is yoga, which Ms. Miser practices 30 minutes a day to increase her flexibility and avoid injury when fired from a cannon.
As for diet, she said she just “tries to eat healthy” and consumes “a lot of protein shakes.”
The photo above shows Skyler Miser, 20, of Indiana, preparing to be fired from a rocket (shown in orange)
Ms. Miser has worked in the circus since she was 18, following in the footsteps of her parents, who are also “human cannonballs”
The 20-year-old is a star in the Ringling Bros Circus, a show that travels across the United States featuring acrobatics. She performs as the ‘human cannonball’, being shot out of a giant cannon during her act.
To do this, she climbs into an 8-foot cannon and, amid the sound of drums and screams from the audience, uses a “secret mechanism” to launch herself out of the device.
Ms Miser said she flies from 0 to 80 km/h in less than half a second, shoots up to 10 meters into the air – as high as a three-storey building – and travels more than 35 meters before landing on a giant airbag lands.
While she floats – keeping her body taut – she also does acrobatics such as somersaults to further impress the audience.
She told DailyMail.com: ‘It’s a bit nerve-wracking. You only get one chance to get it right.’
She added: “(Flying out of a cannon) is like being on a roller coaster. (That) is how I describe it to people.
“(But) you have to make sure you’re really tight during takeoff.
“It’s hard to describe unless someone has done it before.”
Before she could perform in the big show, she trained for months to learn how to be a human cannonball with her parents – both of whom are also professional cannon pilots.
They taught her the best stretches and yoga poses to do, including pigeon pose, low lunge and bridge pose that activate her hip flexors.
This is important for acrobats because it strengthens their muscles – involved in almost all movements – and increases their flexibility, minimizing the risk of injury.
They also taught her the best way to hold her body after it was launched from the cannon – always straight and curved – to avoid injury.
Her mother also taught her to meditate for five minutes just before her performance to “calm my nerves.”
She said: ‘You literally only get one chance because you can’t just go back in and fly out again.
“So you really have to make sure you’re well prepared for your chance to shine.”
Her entire act is done without any safety equipment – such as helmets, shoulder pads or mouthguards – with Ms Miser saying this would slow her down.
Despite her high-flying stunts, she suffered only minor injuries, including a few punches to the nose.
Doctors have asked her to wear a nose protector, but she continues to refuse.
Her father – who is also discharged from a rocket – suffered more serious injuries, breaking at least eighteen bones in his twenty years of performing due to poor landings after being ejected from the cannon.
Before her routine, Ms. Miser said she warmed up by dancing with the other performers at the show’s opening.
She then runs for a few minutes and does stretching exercises to prepare for her act.
Warm-ups are important because they stimulate blood flow to the muscles and heat, making them more flexible and absorbing the force of a shot from the cannon.
Two hours after the show it is time for her act – the Ringling Rocket – which serves as the final piece.
The above shows Mrs. Miser flying through the air after being fired from the cannon. She said she travels about 110 feet and 35 feet into the air
She does acrobatics as she flies through the air – without any safety equipment – before landing on a large airbag
Before Ms. Miser made her debut just over two years ago, she always dreamed of performing in the big ring.
She grew up in the small town of Peru, Indiana, about a two-hour drive from Chicago.
Throughout her childhood, she watched both her parents perform the human cannonball act – and said she was “itching” to be a cannon pilot like them when she was older.
She added: “I’m a bit of a thrill seeker. I grew up watching my parents do this and live this lifestyle, so this is what I always wanted to do.”
Her father let her try the cannon act at age 11, firing in a test cannon her father built before it was sent to Britain.
Then they kept her away from guns; they wondered if she would focus on another passion and worried that the machines would disrupt her growth.
But when she turned 18 and was still passionate about being a gun pilot, her parents spent time teaching her.
Ms Miser estimates she has been shot from a cannon 300 times so far, but said she aims to break the world human cannonball record.
The current record is held by David Sr. Smith, who was shot 9,000 times.
Her father, named Brian, is a little closer to achieving this record than she is: he has been shot from a cannon more than 7,000 times.
She now travels with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus – the most famous traveling circus in the US during the 20th and early 21st centuries.
The show is currently taking place in Greensboro, North Carolina, and will travel the US East Coast through May.
They’ll then fly to Columbus, Ohio, and tour various locations across the US – including Texas and California – before ending in Charleston, West Virginia, in December.