Ashrita Furman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ashrita Furman
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Furman in Rome, Italy 2011
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| Born |
Keith Furman
September 16, 1954 Brooklyn, New York
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| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Occupation | Health food store manager |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Children | 4 |
Ashrita Furman (born Keith Furman on September 16, 1954) is a famous Guinness World Records record-breaker. He holds the world record for setting the most Guinness World Records! As of 2017, Ashrita has achieved over 600 official records. He currently holds more than 200 of these amazing records. He started his journey of breaking records way back in 1979.
Contents
Ashrita's Amazing Life and Records
How Ashrita Became a Record Breaker
Ashrita Furman was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1954. When he was a kid, he loved reading the Guinness Book of World Records. But he never thought he could break a record himself. This was because he felt he wasn't very athletic.
As a teenager, Ashrita became interested in spirituality. In 1970, he became a dedicated follower of a spiritual teacher named Sri Chinmoy.
Sri Chinmoy encouraged Ashrita to try new things. In 1978, he inspired Ashrita to join a 24-hour bicycle race. This race took place in New York City's Central Park. Ashrita trained for only two weeks. Even with little training, he cycled 405 miles (652 km) and tied for third place! Around this time, he changed his first name to Ashrita. This name means 'protected by God' in Sanskrit.
Ashrita's First Record and New Challenges
In 1979, Ashrita set his very first official Guinness World Record. He did an incredible 27,000 jumping jacks!
Years later, in 1986, Ashrita came up with a totally new idea. He invented and set the record for jumping on a pogo stick underwater! He even showed this unique skill on the TV show Good Morning America on April Fools' Day.
Breaking Records Around the World
Since 1982, Ashrita has managed a health food store in Jamaica, Queens, New York. He also travels a lot as a tour manager for his meditation group. This allows him to visit many different places.
As of 2014, Ashrita had set records in 40 different countries! He achieved his goal of breaking a record on all seven continents. He did this by setting the mile hula hoop record at Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) in the Australian desert in 2003.
Ashrita has also set records at many famous landmarks. These include:
- The Egyptian pyramids (balancing a pool cue for distance).
- Stonehenge (standing on a Swiss ball).
- The Eiffel Tower (most sit-ups in an hour).
- The Great Wall of China (hopping on a kangaroo ball).
- Borobudur (fastest mile run while balancing a milk bottle on his head).
- Angkor Wat (jumping rope on a pogo stick).
While in China, Ashrita broke a record that had stood since 1982. He ran 8 kilometers (5 miles) on stilts in the fastest time. He finished in just 39 minutes and 56 seconds!
Inventing New Ways to Break Records
Ashrita is also known for creating new types of records. One example is "landrowing." He used a special indoor rower with wheels and brakes. In 1991, he rowed 1,500 miles (2,414 km) in 16 days in Bali.
He also developed "gluggling," which is juggling underwater! In 2002, he gluggled for 48 minutes at Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World in Auckland, New Zealand.
Another new sport he created is distance sack racing. In 2007, Ashrita raced a yak in Mongolia for a mile while in a sack!
On January 30, 2008, Ashrita showed off his giant pencil. This pencil was 76 feet (23 meters) long and weighed 22,000 pounds (9,979 kg). It had 4,000 pounds (1,814 kg) of solid Pennsylvania graphite. The pencil was built in three weeks as a birthday gift for his teacher, Sri Chinmoy. It was even longer than a 65-foot (20-meter) pencil outside the Malaysia HQ of Faber-Castell. The giant pencil was moved from Queens, New York, to the City Museum in St. Louis.
In April 2009, Ashrita Furman became the first person ever to hold 100 Guinness World Records at the same time!
See also
- Impossibility Challenger
Images for kids
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Furman in Rome, Italy 2011
