Ashrita Furman - the record holder of the Guinness Book of Records

When Ashrita Furman grew up in New York, he relied more on the mind than on the muscles. It was he who was chosen as that student who pronounces a farewell speech before the release. The young man was one of the best in school in many subjects, but not in physical education.

But today, when he turned 62 years old, he is an example of sportsmanship. He can ride a single-wheeled bike and juggle at the same time, can walk on the lawn, hold the lawn mower on his chin, and jump on the grasshopper for hours on end. Ashrytta Furman suddenly became something of a superatlet, and all this in order to beat as many records as possible from the Guinness Book of Records. "I was fond of Guinness records since I was a kid," Furman admitted. - I always carried the Book of Records with me. And this love never went away. I like the idea that I can be the best in the world in something. And this is not a question of the ego, but a matter of the goal that I want to achieve. "

Furman broke the first record in 1979, and to date, according to his own calculations, he managed to beat about 630 records. Now he is the holder of just 207 records, including the record for the number of beaten records, of course. It's time to look at how and why Furman turned records into the goal of his life.

The best record holder among all the record holders

So, before you is a grocery store manager, a 62-year-old New Yorker who has beaten over six hundred records. At the same time, the records that he beat, are both striking and impressive, and rather strange. He jumped on the "grasshopper" to the top of the mountain, ran a marathon, parallel juggling, and pushed the orange with his nose for a distance of one and a half kilometers. In 2004, he set a new record, after 24 minutes and 36 seconds. Here are some more outstanding records belonging to this person:

• The largest number of beer bottles open per minute chainsaw (24 pieces).
• The greatest amount of jelly, eaten with chopsticks per minute (678 grams).
• The greatest distance, which managed to move the coin (4 meters 94 centimeters).
• The fastest one and a half kilometer on the "grasshopper" with parallel juggling (23 minutes 28 seconds).

Spiritual Mastermind

Also, it can be easily taken for unsafe calls. For example, he was able to extinguish a blowtorch with his tongue. Furman was deeply inspired by the teachings of an ambiguous spiritual mentor called Sri Chinmoy. Chinmoy was born in India and moved to New York in 1964, where he opened a meditation center, promoting peace throughout the world and harmony of existence. Soon, his followers spread throughout the world. Chinmoy shook hands with respected world leaders, such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, but many of his former students claimed that their mentor was notable for cruel treatment of the wards. Chinmoy inspired his followers to strengthen their spirituality through incredibly complex physical challenges, such as juggling underwater among sharks. This record Furmanu, unfortunately, could not be beaten, since the shark knocked one of the balls from his hands.

Love of the Book of Records

However, Furman was also inspired by his lifelong love of the Guinness Book of Records. "I remember reading it under the cover of night," he said. Interesting fact: The Guinness Book of World Records first appeared at the same time as Furman - in 1954. The idea belonged to the executive director of the Guinness brewery, who wanted to have a book that would help resolve disputes that constantly arise in bars and pubs, peacefully. Furman also admitted that his life is connected in some way with the Guinness Book of Records.

Furman Records

Furman beat his first record in 1979, when he made 27 thousand jumps-stars in a row in one of Manhattan's gyms. Since then, he traveled around the world and set new and new records. In 2002, for example, he broke the record for the fastest crossing of eight kilometers on foot, while rotating the hoop around the waist in parallel. And one more time he managed to overcome five kilometers jumping in 35 minutes, while keeping on a leash of a tiger. In 2005, he went to Egypt and walked 11 kilometers, while holding a billiard cue on his finger. He also twisted around the waist the world's largest hoop - its diameter was more than four meters.

How does this happen?

In 1987, he set a record for the highest number of established and beaten records - and this record was not able to beat anyone else. And now Furman does not stop - in an interview he said that he sets a new record every week. In most cases, he scans the Guinness Book of World Records in search of an interesting category, and then begins training to beat a specific record. He also constantly struggles to break the records that were previously set by him, but then beaten by other people. He even came up with his own categories that were included in the Book of Records, among which, for example, you can find the fastest one and a half kilometer traversed with a chicken egg in a spoon. In this case, failures never upset him. "I'm not hunting for success, I'm hunting for progress," says Furman. For example, in Italian Pisa, he tried to keep 22 plastic containers from the milk on his chin - and could not succeed in it.

Do not stop at anything!

This harsh determination helped him to set the record in the fastest marathon that a man could run, parallel juggling - for the last thirteen kilometers he had an eye in his eye, which he could not get out of there. "I did it in three hours and 23 minutes, and I was very, very happy," Furman said. - I was very nervous, because I was pressured by the probability of failure. However, in the end, this is not about this. Because if I could not finish the race, I would just try again. "

Incredible loads

Ashrita Furman subjected his body to so many trials, including twenty kilometers of somersaults, during which he stopped periodically, as he was overcome by nausea. "I trained on the road, and the actual distance was uneven. It was hilly, which completely broke my sense of balance, "Furman said. "It was a very difficult battle, I'll tell you." However, on that day he still broke the record, having made 8341 somersaults ahead. Fortunately, for all the time he received not so much damage, one of which was a wound obtained during the fishing of harpoons with hands under the water. "Harpoon really went through my hand," said Furman. "Not completely through, but he went in very deeply." But, for all his fame, he does not receive any benefits: like all other contenders, he must shoot the whole process on video, and also do it in the presence of official witnesses.