Jun 30, 2006
Lately, many of my record attempts have involved balance – remaining upright while hopping on one leg, staying balanced while trying to juggle on a pogo stick, balancing an egg in a spoon while running a mile. With every record-breaking attempt, in fact, whenever anyone tries to go beyond their previous capacity, the challenge not only involves balancing outer circumstances, but maintaining inner balance as well. Often, this inner struggle can be more challenging than the outer one!
This lesson was reinforced to me when I attempted the record for milk crate balancing -balancing the heaviest vertical stack of milk crates on your chin for at least 10 seconds. This record is judged by weight rather than height because milk crates vary in size all over the world. Back in 2002, I managed to break the existing record by balancing a 20-foot stack weighing 88 pounds. Some years later, an American fellow surpassed me by balancing 89 pounds. I was certain that I could reclaim the record within a few months without much fuss. But, after a year, not only did I still not have the record, but I failed miserably in front of millions of T.V. viewers, not once, but twice, and my inner balance was tested even more!
Jan 29, 2006
Article appeared on The Star newspaper – Malaysia January 2006
UNDERWATER juggling world record holder Ashrita Furman’s dreams of breaking his own 2002 Guinness World Record of 48 minutes and 36 seconds were broken when a 12-year-old Tawney Nurse shark brushed by him and broke the momentum at the Aquatheatre, Aquaria KLCC on Thursday.
Furman, 51, set his record at the Kelly Tarlton aquarium in New Zealand and was attempting to break his record when the shark, nicknamed Guinness by Aquaria KLCC head curator Paul Hamilton, interfered.
Hamilton explained that Furman had been standing at the shark’s sleeping spot.
Furman had juggled for 13 minutes before Guinness interrupted him but the health store manager from New York quickly picked up the balls and resumed juggling, only to stop three minutes later as his goggles were half filled with water.
Oct 30, 2005
I love all animals, but I have a special fondness for dogs. One of the most profound dog stories I have ever heard was about a Skye terrier who became known as “Greyfriars Bobby”. Bobby lived in Edinburgh, Scotland in the mid-nineteenth century. His master, John Gray, was a constable. Bobby used to follow his master on his rounds, and obviously, a very special bond developed between the two. Sadly, within a few years, John was struck with tuberculosis and died, and Bobby watched as his dearest friend was buried in the graveyard of the Greyfriars Church.
When the funeral was over and it came time for everyone to go, Bobby refused to leave the resting place of his master. No amount of coaxing could get Bobby to give up his post, and except for a short dinner break once a day, Bobby stayed by John’s side until he himself breathed his last 14 years later! When Bobby passed away, he was buried near his friend. The local citizenry was so moved by the dog’s devotion that they erected a statue of Bobby across from the church. Hearing Bobby’s story made an indelible impression on me and I hoped to visit the statue one day. This past October my hope was fulfilled, but the circumstances were quite different from anything I ever imagined!
Oct 20, 2005
It was an ambitious plan and it actually worked – well, almost! Since I was scheduled to go overseas for a few weeks in September, the plan was to attempt 4 Guinness world records in 4 different countries in less than a month. And to make it even more exciting, if I succeeded, the fourth record would mark my 100th, the culmination of more than 25 years of record-breaking that began with 27,000 jumping jacks way back in 1979! Looking back on it, there was no compelling reason to try to reach so quickly, but the mad scramble made it ever so much more fun!
May 27, 2005
Alberto, the English-speaking taxi driver who picked me up at my hotel in Cairo, assured me that he could arrange whatever I needed. He had the connections. If I wished to go into the secret room in the leg of the Sphinx, he could arrange it. If I wanted to stay all night inside a Pyramid, like Napoleon had done more than a century ago, no problem. I explained that although his offers were tempting, what I really needed was to find a relatively flat road near the Pyramids where I could walk back and forth while balancing a pool cue on my finger.
Alberto, the English-speaking taxi driver who picked me up at my hotel in Cairo, assured me that he could arrange whatever I needed. He had the connections. If I wished to go into the secret room in the leg of the Sphinx, he could arrange it. If I wanted to stay all night inside a Pyramid, like Napoleon had done more than a century ago, no problem. I explained that although his offers were tempting, what I really needed was to find a relatively flat road near the Pyramids where I could walk back and forth while balancing a pool cue on my finger. To set the Guinness record, I would have to perform the feat continuously for at least 5 miles, so it was also crucial that there be little or no traffic to distract me. Alberto smiled and replied, “Oh, that’s too easy”, and within minutes, I was on horseback following a guide across the sand dunes towards the Pyramids of Giza.
