Why Do People Risk Their Lives For Guinness World Records?

Have you ever wanted something so badly you were willing to do anything for it, even risk your life or a limb?

If so, you just might have what it takes to become a Guinness World Records holder.

As a compiler of amazing feats and achievements, Guinness is in a class of its own. And some people believe that making it in the book is an accomplishment worth any risk.

With the 2012 version of the book on the brink of being released, daredevils like Michael Hughes are getting ready to up the stakes.

Hughes set a world record in September 2002 when he strapped himself in a limo and launched the vehicle 103 feet. He is now planning to attempt a new world record in October for the longest, highest jump off a ramp in a rocket-powered car.

He thinks he can reach a half mile and said his decision to defy death in order to get into Guinness is one based on pragmatism.

"I am hoping to make a few bucks off this rocket jump," he told HuffPost Weird News. "I see it as a springboard for the rest of my life. Maybe a clothing line or sunglasses."

It's that chance for immortality that may explain why Susanne Eman, 32, a single mom in Casa Grande, Ariz., has made it her goal to break the record for "World's Heaviest Woman."

Currently, Guinness recognizes Pauline Potter, 48, of Sacramento, Calif., as the world's heaviest woman. Confirmed by the organization at weighing 643 pounds, Potter suspects she now weighs closer to 700 pounds.

Although Guinness officials say Eman has never officially submitted an application to be considered for the record, she claims to weigh around 730 pounds and told the British news agency Barcroft Media that, if all goes well, she will hit her current goal of 1,600 pounds when she is 41 or 42.

To many observers, winning a mention in a book might pale in comparison to the health risks and mobility issues associated with being so heavy. And even if Eman tips the scale at a record-setting weight, she won't necessarily be satisfied.

"I'd love to find out if it's humanly possible to reach a ton," she said.

Eman's plan to eat her way into history might be dangerous -- but she won't be the first person who risked death in an attempt to make it into the record books.

From race car driver Marshall Teague, who perished attempting to set a closed course speed record in 1959, to free diver Audrey Mestre, who never regained consciousness after dropping to a depth of 561 feet below the sea in 2002, daredevils have long gambled their lives for a shot at a world record.

But what motivates someone to put their life on the line for a mention in a book and a certificate?

Los Angeles-based psychotherapist Nancy Irwin said she believes people who want to set records often do so to fill a void in other aspects of their lives.

"In a case like this, there is a sense of narcissism that suggests she's desperate for attention and wants to stand out," Irwin told HuffPost Weird News, referring to Eman. "There could be a sense of self-hatred as well. Also, some people just cannot stand anonymity -- especially if they failed at something before."

Although Irwin said her explanation might cover all people who single-mindedly put their lives at risk for a goal, she concedes that some kinds of risky record-breaking could be less of a cry for help than others.

"I think a man-against-nature goal is healthier than trying to gain as much weight as you can," she said.

But even if Eman's goal -- which requires her to eat 22,000 calories a day --may be hastening her death, Irwin said compassion is key to understanding her effort.

"Many times, people have something to prove," she said. "You have to understand that there is a positive intent behind every activity, even if it has a negative outcome."

Irwin sees the desire to risk death as a plea for help or attention. But others, like Hughes, who started out racing motorcycles, sees his record attempt as a numbers game.

"I could win 20 stock car races or do one big jump," he said. "One of the things I thought when I came up with this stunt is, 'What can I do to stand out from everyone else?'"

On one hand, Hughes said he thinks he can do this one big jump and call it quits. But on the other hand, he admits he's not completely sure he'll stop after the jump.

"I do have enough parts lying around to build a rocket motorcycle," he said. "I thought about maybe attempting to break the land speed record."

In some cases, a record attempt that looks risky to the viewer might not seem that way to the person trying to break the record.

That's how it was for skiing champ Grete Eliassen, who set a world record in April 2010 for "highest hip air by a woman on skis" by soaring a whopping 31 feet in the air.

It's not something she can do every day -- or even every week -- but she views her record as the sum of years of hard work doing something she enjoys.

"For me, the record was about finding something I am good at and showing women are as good as men," she said. "I did a lot of prep work for it; starting off with a small jump and then a larger one until finally I was ready."

"Setting the record was the best high," she added. "It was great having the guys tell me I'm awesome. I'm not sure what the next limit to conquer is, but I'm training for the 2014 Winter Olympics and I'm sure I'll find something."

Having confidence in oneself is the key to setting a world record, according to Ashrita Furman. And he should know -- he holds the record for most Guinness World Records.

He currently has 132 records under his belt, but over the years, he's either set or broken 350 world records, including "longest continuous distance somersaulting" (12 miles, 390 yards); "most cucumbers snapped in one minute" (118); and "most jello eaten in one minute using chopsticks (1 pound, 5 ounces).

"Honestly, most of the records I've set haven't been life-threatening like [Eman]," he said. "But some of them, like skipping with a tiger or juggling with a shark were pretty stupid.

"But I think if you're confident of your abilities, you feel in control of your own fate and it doesn't seem like a high risk."

Although Furman said he doesn't understand why Eman wants to be the fattest woman in the world, he said he understands the desire to be tops in something.

"I love the challenge of being the best in the world, but I also want to inspire people and transcend limitations," he said. "But I don't get her -- it's not healthy. I think Guinness would highly disapprove of a record like that."

A Guinness representative said the organization's policy isn't to celebrate "achievements" like the one Eman is attempting, but to simply chronicle the extremes that exist in the world.

Jon Pritikin, who once set a record for the "tightest roll of a frying pan" -- bending the metal pan until it was rolled up like a burrito -- said that anyone attempting to set a new record should question their motivation.

"I basically set the record because I do school assemblies about overcoming bullying and use feats of strength as a selling point," he said. "The Guinness title actually helps you get into places. It might seem silly, but it's nice being in the book.

"I was happy the day I set my first record, but then someone broke it a month later," he added. "It's a real kick to your self esteem, but then you remember, 'What's my motive?'

"Really, once you've broken or set a record, it's always there. However, when you ask why does someone risk their life for a record, it comes down to this: What does anyone want? To be noticed or accepted, and people will risk their life for acceptance."

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• Sixteen-month-old Le Yati Min plays on a chair at her house in South Okkalarpa township on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, on Feb. 15. The Myanmar girl was born with six fingers on each hand and seven toes on each foot on Oct. 18, 2009. Guinness World Records is considering naming her the most "digitally enhanced" person in the world.

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• Chinese "Iceman" Jin Songhao stands in a plastic box during a cold endurance competition in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, on Jan. 3. Jin Songhao dwarfed Wim Hof's world record for the longest ice bath by immersing himself in ice for 120 minutes wearing nothing but a swimsuit.

• Guinness World Records officials consider 17-year-old Jyoti Amge the world's shortest living teenage girl. Photographed here on her 17th birthday on Dec. 15, Amge stands just over 2 feet tall. But her big birthday will come next year, when Amge could become the world's shortest living woman -- so long as she doesn't grow more than about 4.3 inches between now and then.

• Canadian Jean-Guy Laquerre is surrounded by his Guinness record-breaking collection of Santa Claus memorabilia, which totals an astounding 25,104 items.

• Natasha Verushka swallowed a 22.83-inch sword on Sword Swallowers Awareness Day, on Feb. 28, 2009. On Nov. 18, 2010 -- Guinness World Records Day -- an attempt was made to set the record for the longest sword swallowed on live TV.

• The largest burrito weighed 12,785.576 pounds and was achieved by CANIRAC La Paz, in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, on Nov. 3. The burrito was made from one single flour tortilla that weighed over 2 tons and measured 2.4 kilometers. The filling was fish with onion, chile and refried beans -- typical to the region of Baja California Sur. Fifty-four restaurants took part, with about 3,000 volunteers.

• Ninety-year-old Zdena Snoblova, reportedly the oldest diver in the world, presents the Czech edition of Guinness World Records 2011 on Nov. 3 in Pelhrimov, Czech Republic.

• Francisco Domingo Joaquim, aka "Chiquinho," shows off his record-breaking "world's most elastic mouth" at 6.69 inches across.

• Robin Hendrickson stretches out her cat, Stewie, outside her home in Reno, Nev. Stewie, a 5-year-old Maine Coon, has been accepted by Guinness World Records as the world's longest cat at 48.5 inches.

• Laura Hadland, 27, of Cambridge, England, made her dream come true -- making the world's largest toast mosaic birthday card -- with a little help from her BFFs (best Facebook friends) and HTC, a global designer of smart phones. The toast mosaic birthday card, which consisted of 128.05 square meters, 600 loaves of lovingly browned and scorched bread, cut into 9,852 slices, was in honor of Hadland's mother-in-law.

• Swallow, an 11-year-old sheep-sized cow from the West Yorkshire region of England, is one of the stars of the 2011 edition of "Guinness World Records." This 33-inch-high Dexter is the world's smallest cow.

• Meet Mehmet Ozyurek -- the man with the world's largest nose. According to Guinness World Records officials, the Turkish national's epic proboscis measures 3.46 inches from bridge to tip.

• Hassan Abed Rabbo inspects what he says is the smallest handwritten, complete version of the Koran ever made. The 2.4-by-1.9-centimeter Muslim holy book, which Rabbo inherited from his great-grandmother, contains 604 pages decorated with gold ink. Guinness officials currently recognize a Koran that measures 1.7 centimeters by 1.28 centimeters, owned by Muhammad Karim Beebani, as the world's smallest Koran -- though his version of the religious text isn't handwritten.

• On Aug. 4, Tulsa-area Chick-fil-A restaurants set a Guinness World Record by creating the world's largest iced tea. A 9-foot-tall cup held more than 1,140 gallons of freshly brewed sweet tea and ice. The process required 72 pounds of tea leaves, 1,150 pounds of sugar, one ton of ice and 912 gallons of water.

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• Standing 7 feet and 8 1/3 inches, Minnesota resident Igor Vovkovinskiy was named the tallest man in the United States by Guinness World Records officials.

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• Big Jake, a 9-year-old Belgian gelding, holds the Guinness World Record for world's tallest living horse. Big Jake, here with his owner Jerry Gilbert, measures in at nearly 6 feet, 11 inches, which is 2.75 inches taller than the previous record-holder.

• Hundreds toss rubber chickens in an attempt to set a chicken-tossing record following Boston's Run of the Charles Canoe and Kayak Race in April.

• He Pingping of China met Sultan Kosen of Turkey in January. He -- the world's smallest man -- was 2 feet, 5 inches. He died March 13. Kosen, the world's tallest man, stood more than 5 1/2 feet taller than his friend. They got together to launch the "Guinness World Records Live! Roadshow" at the Forum Istanbul in January 2010.

• Khagendra Thapa Magar plays a guitar as he celebrates his 17th birthday in Pokhara, Nepal, Oct. 14. Magar, who is 20 inches tall and weighs 10 pounds, has applied to the Guinness World Records to be named the world's shortest man.

• As a spokesman for Guinness World Records, He Pingping met Russia's Svetlana Pankratova, better known as the world's leggiest woman, in 2008. Pankratova's legs are 4 feet, 4 inches long.

• The shortest married couple have been together a long time. Douglas Maistre Breger da Silva tied the knot with Claudia Pereira Rocha in 1998. She's 3 feet tall, and he's an inch shorter. They live in Brazil.

• Who's top dog now? Meet giant George, a Great Dane who stands 3 feet, 7 inches tall from paw to shoulder. George is seen here with his owner, David Nasser of Tucson, Ariz.

• Wilco van Kleef is nearly 7 feet tall. His bride, Keisha Bolton, is pushing 6-foot-5. Together, their combined height is 13 feet, 3.3 inches. They met via Britain's Tall Persons Club, when she was looking for a dance partner she wouldn't dwarf. He certainly fit the bill. They're the tallest couple in the world.

• Hey, you two! Get a room, and not just for one night! The longest kiss was achieved by Nikola Matovic and Kristina Reinhart of Germany, who kissed continuously for 32 hours, 7 minutes and 14 blissful seconds at the Hamburger Hof Shopping Centre. Medics with Chapstick were standing by at the February 2009 stunt.

• Shigetsugu and Miyoko Anan of Japan are the oldest couple to run a marathon. He's 83, she's 78, and they finished the 2008 Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon, jogging side by side, in 7 hours, 36 minutes, 22 seconds.

• Lean to your left! Lean to your right! Round up 279 cheerleaders -- what have you got? The world's largest cheerleading dance. The Universal Cheerleaders Association in Memphis, Tenn., set this record as part of World Record Day.

• New York City's famous eatery Serendipity 3 unveiled the world's largest cup of hot chocolate on Nov. 12, 2009. It's 4 gallons of yumminess, and very, very fattening.

• Joel Waul, 28, climbs on top of his rubber band ball outside his home in Lauderhill, Fla., on Oct. 23, 2009. Waul had spent the past six years building the 6-foot, 7-inch-tall, 9,032-pound behemoth. A team from Ripley's Believe It or Not hauled the ball away on a large, flatbed truck; it was to be featured in one of the company's museums.

• Divers crowd the waters of Indonesia's North Sulawesi province Aug. 17 to break the Guinness world record for "Most People Scuba Diving Simultaneously." More than 2,500 Indonesian and foreign divers participated in the event and succeeded.

• The dachshund Chanel turned 21 on May 6. That's 147 in dog years, making her the oldest living canine on the planet, according to Guinness World Records. She celebrated with a spa trip. The previous record holder, Butch, died at the practically biblical age of 28, which is 196 in dog years.

• Anandita Dutta Tamuly smears ghost chilies, the world's spiciest, in her eyes before gobbling them up during an attempt to enter the Guinness World Records books, in Jorhat, India, on April 9, 2009. British chef Gordon Ramsay is beside her. Organizers said the 28-year-old Indian woman ate 51 fire-hot chilies in two minutes.

• Mexico City became the new smooching capital on Valentine's Day 2009. Carlos Martinez of Guinness World Records confirmed that 39,897 people entered a gated area in the city's Zocalo square Saturday to lock lips. The Mexican capital broke the previous record, set by the English town of Weston-super-Mare in 2007.

• Cindy Jackson, 52, holds the record for having had 47 cosmetic surgeries, the most in the world. She's shown above in 2004.

• Khalil Semhat holds a giant potato he found on his farm near Tyre, Lebanon, for photographers on Dec. 6. He said he hopes the nearly 25-pounder will be a Guinness World Record.

• C. Manoharan of India first set a record for swallowing 200 earthworms in 30 seconds. He also tried to set a record by flossing two snakes through one nostril. (Sources: AP, Guinness Book of World Records)

• A model in Bucharest, Romania wears the world's longest bridal train on March 20, 2012. The train, which is 1.85 miles long, took 100 days and 10 seamstresses to create, said Lavinia Lascae, spokeswoman for the Andree Salon fashion house.

Comments

[Helen Greenfeld]

08:18 AM on 09/20/2011

Most of these people are out of the Aeronautical Fornicating minds.

[Annette Hammond]

10:51 PM on 09/19/2011

Do these people make any $ from this?? The 4 yr. old weighing 136 lbs.,that's sad.And what's the big deal about the largest fishing lure,other than it's huge.So the hubby can say "And the fish was THIS big".