Brazilian sets Guinness burpee record in Singapore

SINGAPORE, July 20 (Reuters) – Burpees are the gym exercise everyone loves to hate: you start standing. Bend over and with your hands on the floor, put your legs back to the pump. Back up and get up.

Now repeat 951 times. That’s the number of burpees a Brazilian living in Singapore accomplished in an hour, setting a new Guinness World Record as part of a fundraising effort for his niece who was born last year with a serious illness. cardiac.

Last month’s record-breaking effort by Cassiano Rodrigues Laureano, who turned 35 on the day of the attempt, was verified by Guinness Record judges on Monday.

“I’m tired,” Laureano said after finishing the record at the city’s Tricolor Fight Team gymnasium, where he teaches. “It didn’t go as well as I thought it would.”

“But I am very, very happy with the accomplishment.”

Born in the municipality of Sao Gabriel in southern Brazil, Laureano, who is also a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, said he was motivated by a promise made to his niece, Rebeca.

“I don’t know when I will be able to see them,” Laureano said, of his family whom he hasn’t met since moving to Singapore in May 2019. “So that’s the only thing I can do to help… using my athleticism. “

Laureano had initially aimed for 1,000 burpees, but fell short of his goal due to a leg injury suffered two days before the attempt. He had trained for about nine months before setting the record.

The previous world record was held by Nick Anapolsky, who completed 879 chest-to-floor burpees in an hour earlier this year.

With his achievement, Laureano hopes to set an example for all who are lucky enough to be born with a whole heart. He also said he wanted to inspire people to adopt healthier lifestyles and muster the discipline to achieve their goals, especially in the midst of the pandemic.

“This is one of the hardest simple exercises you can do. It wouldn’t be fun if it weren’t for the hardest,” Laureano said. “I could choose jumping jacks but it’s so easy … It must be something that challenges you to be something better.”

Reporting by Lee Ying Shan and Joseph Campbell; Editing by Karishma Singh and Raissa Kasolowsky

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