A 17-year-old American, inspired by his father’s five-year battle against cancer, practised intense pull-ups and now has set three world records. Andrew Shapiro’s quest to set a Guinness world record began seven months before.
Shapiro who is a fan of the obstacle course challenge (also a television show), decided that he wanted to dedicate himself to reach peak physical condition.
He began his journey to set the world record on 14 May at 8 a. m. Within six hours, the Langley High School junior had finished 3,515 pull-ups thus setting a new world record. That was only the beginning. He pushed himself further and completed 5,742 pull-ups.
Young Shapiro hadn’t yet finished. He continued to exert beyond his limit reached the earlier world record for the most pull-ups performed in 24 hours (6,800) recorded by the Czech Republic athlete Jan Kares in 2015 at the 15-hour mark.
Image courtesy: The Washington Post
Shapiro finally stopped when he completed 7,306 pull-ups in 18 hours.
Shapiro’s family set up three video cameras to record his attempt, while 15 judges observed his efforts and completed the paperwork to certify his achievement for the Guinness World Records book.
Shapiro trained extensively in his bid to set the world records. He performed 10 pull-ups a minute for six hours straight while watching films to help him pass time.
However, his obsession had started to take a toll. His shoulders ached, his palms had developed blisters and he gave up playing baseball to dedicate all of his time to training.
“It was blood, sweat and hours and hours and hours of hard work,” The Washington Post quoted Shapiro.
Shapiro not only completed his goal but also raised $4,000 for the American Cancer Society. His mother Stephanie Shapiro told The Washington Post that her husband was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2011. He endured two major surgeries and chemotherapies to rid himself of cancer.
