The air in Taipei was thick with suspense, and Alex Honnold was calmly climbing a 1,667-foot skyscraper as if late for lunch, while his wife awaited at the bal. He reached the top, without ropes, nets, or the faintest nod to self-preservation, becoming the first person to do so. Yet for all his gravity-defying solitude, Honnold does not live unsupported. Enter Sanni McCandless Honnold, his wife, his ballast, and the one constant tether in a life spent defying them.

Now, as the famed climber courts fresh danger in Netflix’s Skyscraper Live special, the couple finds itself back in the spotlight. The world knows Honnold, the man who has been scaling walls for nearly three decades, but far less attention has been paid to the woman who has quietly kept him grounded.

Born in Washington state, Sanni McCandless Honnold is a climber, life coach, entrepreneur, and the wife of Alex Honnold. Much like her husband, Sanni McCandless Honnold also shares the same love for the outdoors and hiking, which she started at a very young age.  At the age of 11, her family moved to North Carolina, where she completed her schooling and developed a deeper appreciation for nature. 

After college, she returned to Washington, and she was eventually introduced to rock climbing by her sister, which became a defining part of her life. Now, she is a certified life coach and heads Sanni McCandless Coaching. In 2018, she co-founded Outwild, which is an outdoor retreat series designed to help participants reconnect with their priorities through immersive experiences in nature.

As for her story with Alex Honnold, the two lovebirds met at a book signing in Seattle in 2015. The couple married in 2020 and are now parents to two daughters, June, born in 2022, and Alice, born in 2024, while living in Las Vegas. Sanni McCandless is also writing a children’s book titled Be a Mountain.

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Nearly a decade on, their bond has only grown steadier. For now, not just his wife but several around the world are watching Alex Honnold’s pursuit on Netflix's Skyscraper Live, which earlier faced a slight hiccup.

Alex Honnold’s daring plan to free solo one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, climbing without ropes or any safety net, was initially postponed. This is because climbing Taipei 101 will need precision, focus, and calmness at every step. However, the rainy conditions on Saturday made the surface too slick and dangerous, prompting organizers to postpone the attempt rather than take unnecessary risks. 

Now, with clearer conditions expected, Honnold has already began his journey at 09:00 local time (GMT +8) and as of now, the legendary climber has established a feat too high, approximately 1,6667 feet. for solo climbers. Alex Honnold successfully climbed Taipei 101 in one hour and 32 minutes , just two minutes over his own estimation at the risk of his wife who was confessed to having a panic attack the entire time.   

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