On 2 September 2013, Diana Nyad became the first person in history to swim from Cuba to America without a shark cage. She set off from Havana and got out of the ocean at Key West. The stretch of ocean she crossed is 177km long and it took her about 53 hours to complete. Not bad for a woman of 64 years of age.
This was Nyad’s fifth attempt. Previous attempts failed because of jellyfish stings, an asthma attack and shoulder pain. Clearly she refused to give up. But, as a world-record long distance swimmer, perseverance is in her nature. As is doing good, apparently. Earlier this month, on 8 October, Nyad started another world record attempt. This time, the aim was to swim for 48 hours straight in aid of Hurricane Sandy victims. This took place in a pool that was erected in New York City’s Herald Square. Did she manage to complete the challenge? Yes, and she also managed to raise U$105 000.
But Nyad isn’t the only swimmer in the world with unbelievable endurance. Herbert Nitsch is known as “the deepest man on earthâ€. This Austrian is the current freediving world record holder. He set his record in 2007 in the No Limit discipline when he freedived to a depth of 214 metres. He attempted to break his record in 2012, but was unsuccessful due to an unfortunate bout of decompression sickness.
What makes this record so incredible is the extra risk to a sport that’s already dangerous. instead of just being propelled downwards by his feet or flippers, Nitsch uses a heavy sled to pull himself downwards – much farther than he would’ve gone on his own. The danger that he’ll submerge too far and run out of breath is very real. This is probably the main reason behind the banning of No Limit events at apnea (apneadiving.org) competitions.
But not all records set in or around water is as admirable or amazing. Some of them are just plain silly. Currently, these records are all recorded in the Guinness World Records:
Largest Water Balloon Fight.This record was set on August 27, 2011, in Lexington, America. An incredible 8 957 students from the Christian Student Fellowship took part and 175 141 balloons were pelted.
Most People Carrying Water Jugs on Their Heads.On 25 May 2012, 474 people carried water jugs on their heads in Eastlake, Ohio, America. The record was part of a bigger fundraiser by Schools for Water to help 9000 Kenyan students gain access to safe drinking water.
Largest Collection of Water Bottle Labels.Lorenzo Pescini of Florence, Italy, has collected 8 650 different bottled water labels from 185 different countries. His labels, which he started collecting in 1992, were counted in 2009.
Most Steps Walked Down by a Dog Facing Forwards Balancing a Glass of Water.Even animals get in on the act. In 2008, Sweet Pea, an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie, balanced a 141g glass water on her nose while walking down 10 steps.
For more crazy water Guinness World Records, visit their official website here.
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