A Gold Coast circus performer and contortionist has broken the world record for shooting an arrow the farthest distance using her feet.
Shannen Michaela, 23, was officially recognised by Guinness World Records after nailing a bullseye from 18.27 metres, breaking the previous best of 12 metres.
If foot archery wasn't difficult enough, she had to hit a target the size of a grapefuit.
Video of the record-breaking shot was recorded on a Gold Coast tennis court in August and was verified by the global record authority last week.
Ms Michaela performed the feat upside down, balancing on her hands while holding the bow with one foot and pulling back the string with her toes.
The acrobat said she had "trained her entire life" for the shot.
She said she started competing in rhythmic gymnastics when she was six years old but only took up archery in 2016 after watching a video of another circus performer doing it online.
Almost entirely self-taught, the first step was using sandpaper to train the skin around her toes to grip the bow.
"I went straight to the feet," she said.
"I began learning with my feet before my hands.
"I have dedicated so many hours to this seemingly useless and bizarre skill so at least now I can say that I have become the best in the world at it.
"If you talk to any professional archer they will tell you that after a certain point it just becomes an intuitive motion."
Foot archery becoming 'quite popular'
To be certified as the best in the world, the attempt needed to be filmed from different angles and have multiple witnesses.
Her unique talents have helped her amass millions of followers on social media.
Other tricks in her foot archery repertoire include hitting a moving target that is strapped to a remote control car, while doing a hand stand on a skateboard.
While foot archery is rare, she said there was actually about 20 female practitioners around the world.
"Every couple of months I’ll see a new circus school in Mongolia with a line of kids practising foot archery so it’s becoming quite popular," she said.
She credited her gymnastics background for her strength and flexibility.
Her training now consists of a combination of yoga, stretching, Pilates, weights and functional movement exercises.
There's no secret to becoming the world's best foot archer — just a lot of practise, Ms Michaela said.
"I feel like I have definitely done my 10,000 hours," she laughed.
"I’m always trying to do things upside down with my toes.
"Cross-training between a bunch of disciplines has helped me a lot."
