Carinthian boys injured after Superman challenge

“On Thursday last week, an eleven-year-old boy was admitted to the ELKI, and on Friday a 14-year-old boy,” sighed Chief Johannes Schalamon and senior doctor Christoph Arneitz from the pediatric and youth surgery department in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee. clinic. Both boys required surgery for complex hand and arm fractures.

What is the Superman Challenge?
Because they both participated in a new trend: “They both participated in the so-called Superman challenge, which has been circulating on TikTok for several months. Now this wave has arrived in Carinthia,” says Schalamon. You will need a total of three children for this challenge. Arneitz: “Two people face each other and cross their arms. The third child imitates Superman and jumps into the arms of his friends with the hero’s signature hand hold. These should actually catapult ‘Superman’ back to his starting position.”

As you can see with the patients in the clinic, this often goes wrong – with devastating consequences. The 14-year-old was hit particularly hard. “He hit the parquet floor and shattered his wrist,” the pediatric surgeons said. Six screws and a metal plate had to be placed during surgery. The healing process will take about a year.

The whole class participates
Both accidents happened at school. Schalamon: “Between school hours or during breaks, the entire class sometimes comes together for this challenge. Videos are made, which are then published on the social media platform.” The pediatric surgeons fear that several people will be injured in the coming week and call on parents, teachers and of course students to be careful. “Please only perform such challenges under controlled conditions, such as during physical education classes!”