A YouTuber who makes a living riding roller coasters has explained how he ended up in that line of work despite having a fear of heights — and whether that fear has ever really gone away.
Sean Evans, who runs the Lift Hills and Thrills channel on YouTube, started his coaster-focused journey in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. He launched the channel with the aim of eventually visiting theme parks and creating videos about his experiences. His videos lean into the enjoyable, rider-focused side of attractions rather than concentrating mainly on technical specifications and mechanics.
The Stoke-on-Trent creator has since travelled widely, taking on hundreds of major coasters, from Texas Titan at Six Flags to Voltron at Europa-Park in Germany, all while continuing to manage his discomfort with heights. Evans has ridden approximately 300 roller coasters across about 50 theme parks worldwide.
For Sean, the motivation behind it is simple: facing something that still unsettles him. Beyond his fear of heights, Evans also deals with vertigo, a condition that causes dizziness and a spinning sensation. Despite experiencing what he describes as “24-hour migraines and vertigo seven days a week,” he has refused to let this condition stop him from pursuing his passion.
“To this very day, I’m still absolutely terrified of heights,” Sean admits. “It doesn’t seem to matter how tall something is, or how many times you go on it, that feeling never seems to go away.”
He says roller coasters are slightly easier to process because there is at least some reassurance in the restraints, seating and general safety systems. The hardest part, he explains, is often the build-up before the ride begins.
Another push comes from not wanting fear to dictate what he misses out on.
“I don’t want to be that person who misses out on something because they were afraid to do it. I want to look back and be proud of the things I’ve achieved, and that’s the exact same mentality when I go on these rides.”
Sean says some coasters become less intimidating after repeat rides, but one category still stands apart for him. Drop towers, and especially the sensation of free fall, remain the biggest challenge.
Rides such as Falcon’s Fury at Busch Gardens or the 415-foot Drop of Doom at Six Flags Magic Mountain are the kind that still get to him, particularly because riders are often left with their feet hanging freely.
Thinking back to where it started, Sean remembers a school trip to Alton Towers in England, where he first properly pushed through that fear. During that trip, he rode the park’s famous Corkscrew coaster, an experience that left him so petrified he avoided roller coasters for years afterward. Eventually, he discovered a passion for theme parks during the Covid-19 lockdown while binge-watching theme park videos, realizing the escapism they could provide.
He has said that skipping the Corkscrew would have left him with regrets while his friends went ahead without him, and that moment helped him prove to himself that he could get past the mental barrier.
“Whilst you may be terrified in that moment, it’s something for you to be proud of, you’ve overcome that fear, even if it’s just in that moment where you’ve ridden that roller coaster.
“It’s all about understanding that barrier that your mind’s put in the way, but pushing past it, because what’s going to be on the other side is going to be far more rewarding.”
In May 2021, Evans set a record at Alton Towers by riding the Nemesis roller coaster 64 times in six hours—a testament to his determination to push through his fears.
He also believes the anticipation can be worse than the ride itself. Long queue times only give those nerves more time to build, which is why waiting in line can be the toughest part of the whole experience.
For anyone dealing with the same anxiety, Sean says one useful tactic is paying for fast track access to reduce time spent standing around overthinking it. As for whether it is worth holding out even longer for the front row, he says that depends entirely on the person.
“It’s personal preference,” he tells us.
For Sean, the front row can actually help him confront his fear more directly because there is nothing blocking the view of just how high the train is climbing.
That said, for most day visitors, he does not think there is much point adding a long extra wait just to secure that position.
“I can see why people queue up to feel the speed of the ride. But if you’ve got an extra hour to queue for the front when you can just jump on any other row, for me, just jump on.”
When he is simply riding for fun, Sean says he is not too concerned about where he sits, as long as he gets on quickly.
“As long as I don’t have to queue up for very long to go on it, I couldn’t care less where I sit. A lot of people are very picky about where they sit, and full marks to them for that. However, I really couldn’t care any less. Just get me on the ride,” he says.
The one exception is when he is filming, because he wants a clear view without other riders blocking the shot.
He says the ideal seat really comes down to what kind of experience someone wants from the coaster.
“If you want to feel the full speed of the roller coaster, then the front is for you,” Sean tells us.
“If you want to feel the most airtime of a particular ride, you sit at the back.”
And if someone is still unsure and just wants a more balanced first go, he recommends the middle rows.