Cheese rolling is the stupidest sport on the face of the earth. I also absolutely love it exists. Every year hundreds of competitors gather at The Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Competition, one of the steepest hills in Gloucester to run down as fast as they can, with the winner getting a wheel of cheese.
The 2023 cheese rolling champion face-planted, got a concussion, and regrets nothing
Cheese rolling remains the stupidest, most dangerous sport in the world.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
This year the title belongs to Delaney Irving, a 19-year-old from Canada who not only made it to the bottom of the hills fastest, but also concussed herself in the process when she face planted across the finish line.
It’s functionally impossible to stay upright while charging down Cooper’s Hill. The angle of descent paired with the uneven terrain causes most people to lose their footing just a few steps into their run, meaning that most people just roll down the hill.
In Irving’s case she managed to somehow get back to her feet just yards from the finish line, before taking a huge header off the last section of the hill and crashed into the ground. She was immediately knocked out, and rolled across the finish line where Irving was attended to by event staff. How does one react to a moment like this?
“I remember running, then bumping my head, and then I woke up in the tent. I still don’t really believe it, but it feels great,” she said.
More power to you for suffering brain injury for a wheel of cheese, I guess.
Injuries at the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling event are common. I say this just as an excuse o give you this video of injuries in 2018.
Please be careful chasing cheese, folks.
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