Lilly Barker began setting national skipping records at four. She's been smashing them ever since

In an old chicken shed in suburban Queensland, World Champion Lilly Barker is skipping as fast as she can.

It's hot, hard work and the 21-year-old is putting in every ounce of effort she can muster.

She's being filmed for her entry into the World Skipping Championships, and it's a far cry from the competition atmosphere she's used to.

«This was particularly strenuous because we had as many opportunities to film every single event as many times as we wanted until it was perfect,» she said.

Some would think that's a good thing. But when you're aiming for perfection and have time on your side, the challenge is different, both mentally and physically.

«Usually on the day [of a competition] we thrive on the adrenaline,» she said.

«We rarely crack under the pressure.

»Basically, if you make one mistake, you're out. It's pretty cutthroat like that."

But in the fast, demanding world of competitive skipping, Lilly Barker delivered — just like she has for the last 17 years.

If you're thinking it's like Jump Rope For Heart in the school playground, you'll need to think a bit harder.

Competitive skipping is complicated.

It involves lightning speed, choreographed moves and high-level skill.

There are two categories: speed and freestyle.

Speed is pretty self-explanatory. Competitors skip for between 30 seconds and three minutes as fast as they can. Their skips are tallied by how many times their right foot hits the ground. Whoever gets the biggest number, wins.

You can do that individually, in teams (where it's a relay), or in double Dutch (where two people turn the ropes and one person jumps in the middle as fast as they can go).

There's also a «double under» category, where you need to do a double skip before your feet hit the ground.

Freestyle