DALLAS – Ladies, don’t try this at home.
A Texas woman is an expert sword swallower, even at nine months pregnant.
The blade is real and so is the risk.
“Sword swallowing is the ultimate death-defying act,” Veronica Hernandez said.
It’s also part of her job; she’s a stage performer in burlesque shows and side show acts.
Fourteen inches of steel, down the esophagus, past the heart to the stomach is a sight to see.
She said it took her almost three years to safely learn the technique and it became a great challenge nine months ago.
“Pregnant women, all of our insides are pretty much pressed up so I have to take that into consideration and that’s why I have to use a shorter blade versus one that most people use,” she said.
Hernandez said she never tried this while carrying her first child but then another pregnant sword swallower gave her some advice.
“You have to take in your posture, into consideration the difference in weight from my belly,” she said.
Another thing that helps, “It is dull, I don’t know if you can tell,” she said.
But that doesn’t make this feat any less amazing to watch.
“It doesn’t interfere with the baby itself,” she said. “It’s mainly me and if I take the precautions for myself, everything will be fine.”
