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Years before making headlines for scaling the Empire State Building, Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau opened up to USA TODAY about the future of their dangerous career.The Russian couple, known for climbing impossibly high buildings without ropes or other safety gear, made their way to the top of the famous New York City structure's 1,454-foot-tall antenna July 1, where they unfurled a banner that read, "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace." Beerkus, 32, then proposed to Nikolau, 33.The stunt stunned onlookers and required police to shut down the streets surrounding the area. But for Beerkus and Nikolau – who now face charges of reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, burglary and "BASE jumping" – it was just another day in the life.Ahead of the release of their Netflix documentary, "Skywalkers: A Love Story," in 2024, the pair spoke with USA TODAY about the sport of "rooftopping."Will Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau ever quit?"Skywalkers: A Love Story" tells the tale of Beerkus and Nikolau's relationship after meeting while rooftopping, and their 2022 mission to climb Merdeka 118, a 2,227-foot building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In a July 2024 interview with USA TODAY, they shared how they got into the daredevil practice."I had a fear of heights like most people when I was young, but I wanted to challenge myself, so that's where rooftopping came in," Beerkus said.Nikolau, a gymnast and the child of circus performers, said the risky pursuit has as much to do with personal fortitude as it does performance art. "I had a fear as well, but as you see in the documentary, my grandmother said. 'Every woman in our bloodline is strong,' so I was used to never showing weakness," she explained.In the documentary, the duo vows to each other that Merdeka 118 will be their final climb. However, they both admitted that wasn't entirely true, as they find any opportunities hard to resist."Every time we land in a new city, we can't help but notice the roofs. We can talk about quitting, but you put a new roof in front of us and we get excited," said Nikolau, who Beerkus noted can have "panic attacks on unstable buildings, so we try not to climb on cranes anymore.""We are more looking for unusual roofs to provide unusual photos," Beerkus added.Bodycam video shows arrest of couple who climbed Empire StateBodycam footage released by the NYPD shows the arrest of the trespassers who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building.When it comes to a fear of death, both Nikolau and Beerkus said the risk of climbing is worth it. Nikolau shared that her cousin died at 18 from an embolism, which taught her that she wanted "to live my life to the fullest.""What's better, live long and smolder like a coal, or burn bright like a fire? I want to burn bright," she said.Beerkus agreed: "You can live 100 years but if your life is boring, it's not the same. We want to live these bright moments to the fullest. We consider ourselves artists, we want to show others what it's like to pursue your passions."Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau share their hopes for the futureAs for their partnership, climbing Merdeka made their relationship "stronger," Beerkus said, acknowledging "how unusual a couple we are.""We are maybe one in a billion who found each other," he continued. "Whatever secrets we had, we told them to each other the night before we climbed. That really solidified our relationship so much more."While he said they are "a normal couple with everyday quarrels," watching their journey on screen "reminded us that we have to choose each other every day. It's not about the roofs and the big emotions, it's about how you treat each other every day."They also addressed the possibility of having children together. "I come from a crazy circus family. So you can draw your own conclusions," Nikolau teased.She then offered a message to kids who want to emulate her and Beerkus, saying, "Don't do it, it's dangerous. But I'd say the same about gymnastics or skiing or skydiving, they all have risks. My message is, decide what you want to do and stick to your guns."Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, Ralphie Aversa, Michael Loria and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
