Giersch, 33, from Bremen, Germany, suffers from Long QT Syndrome, a rare and serious inherited disorder of the heart's electrical system, characterized by fainting, irregular heartbeat, and high risk of sudden death.

Despite that diagnosis, Giersch makes her living as a professional acrobat. She started working as an acrobat on both the street and on stage when she was only 10.

At age 15, she discovered she had inherited the life-threatening condition from her mother, who also suffered from the syndrome. She began to have fainting spells from dangerously irregular heart rhythms. She was put on beta blockers and put her acrobatics career on hold for nearly 10 years.

But Giersch missed her work. She says that she feels better when she's active, so she began performing again.

In October of 2000, she experienced another episode where she lost consciousness and had to be resuscitated by an Automatic External Defibrillator. Her doctor told her that if she didn't have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) surgically implanted, she would die.

Giersch refused to accept that. An ICD would mean that she could no longer perform, because implantable defibrillators aren't very flexible. Plus, she didn't like the idea of having a device inside her body that she could not control.

Giersch went in search of other options. She e-mailed an ICD company and asked them if there were any other products that might better fit her lifestyle. That company had heard of a new, wearable defibrillator made by LIFECOR and referred Giersch to them.

The LifeVest wearable defibrillator was in its final stage of testing, and Giersch qualified to receive one.

While typically the LifeVest is used on a temporary basis while patients await a transplant or other treatments, Giersch may be a special case. "I hope I will have it for years and years," she says.

Recently, Giersch had another cardiac event, which caused her to pass out and turn blue. This time, the LifeVest was there to administer a shock that restored her heart's normal rhythm.

In spite of her condition, Giersch is living on her own terms. "I can live a normal life," she says. And for her, that means the freedom to tumble, flip and be fearless.