Meet the real-life SUPERHEROES with record-breaking powers!
Superheroes: real or fake?
REAL!
If you don’t believe us, meet our very own team of record breakers with… superpowers - from the Human Spider to The Flame and many more in between!
As cool as they sound, these tricks are for expert grown-ups only – so if you’re a kid, DO NOT try them at home… but get inspiration for what you might be able to do someday, when you grow up!
The Human Spider
Starting with our real-life Spider-Man, Alain Robert (France), who holds the record for most buildings climbed!
Do you have a fear of heights?
Well, Alain clearly doesn’t.
As of 2015, he had climbed 121 buildings, including skyscrapers, in a series of dangerous and awe-inspiring stunts, so who knows how many more he may have climbed by now…
Known as the “French Spider-Man”, Alain started scaling towers, mountains and skyscrapers in 1994.
He also holds the records for fastest time to climb The Torch Doha unassisted (solo) with a time of 1 hour 33 minutes and 47 seconds and fastest time to climb the Burj Khalifa tower – the world’s tallest building – in 6 hours 13 minutes and 55 seconds.
It was all worth it for the record title – and the breathtaking views!
The Samurai
Isao Machii from Japan could rival Wolverine’s claws with his awesome samurai sword skills!
In 2015, he broke the record for most martial arts sword cuts to one mat (Suegiri) with a total of 8 and no one has outdone him yet.
But there is more! He’s also held the record for fastest 1,000 martial arts (iaido) sword cuts, with a time of 36 minutes and 4 seconds, since 2007.
Isao is also the record holder for fastest BB pellet cut by sword (158.29 km/h; 98.36 mph), the most sword cuts to straw mats in 3 minutes (252) and the fastest tennis ball cut by sword (700 km/h; 434.96 mph).
Pretty amazing, right?
Kilo-Girl
Nina Geria from Ukraine is definitely the real-life She-Hulk, thanks to her incredible strength!
She holds the record for the farthest distance to wheelbarrow a car (female) with a distance of 90 metres (295 ft 3.3 in).
She also broke records for the highest keg toss (female) (3.90 m; 12 ft 10 in) and the fastest 20 metres duck walk carrying 120 kg (12.33 sec).
She’s unstoppable!
Elastic Man
Have you seen the Fantastic Four movie?
Isn’t Garry Turner (UK) the real-life Mr Fantastic?
Garry has held the record for stretchiest skin (male) since 1998 – NOBODY’S skin is as stretchy as his!
He also used his stretchy skin to break the record for most clothes pegs on the face in 2013 with a total of 161… WOW.
Super Hooper
Marawa Ibrahim (Australia) is our Super Hooper!
She’s been breaking records for over a decade and currently has 8 titles to her name:
- Farthest distance on high-heeled roller skates spinning 8 hula hoops – 43.20 m
- Fastest 50 m hula hooping (female) – 8.76 sec
- Fastest 100 m on high-heeled roller skates – 26.10 sec
- Most hula hoops spun simultaneously – 200
- Fastest 100 m on roller skates while spinning three hula hoops – 27.26 sec
- Fastest mile hula hooping (female) – 8 min 0.40 sec
- Fastest 100 m hula hooping (female) – 17.87 sec
- Most hula hoops spun whilst suspended from the wrists - 50
The Flame
Our very own Human Torch is Josef Tödtling (Austria), who has performed a series of wild stunts while he was… on fire!
Don’t worry, this is all totally safe when done by a professional like Josef – he’s been doing stunts like this for years and is an absolute LEGEND.
Among his many records, Josef has held the title for longest duration full body burn without oxygen since 2013 after managing an unprecedented 5 minutes and 41 seconds.
Captain Freeze
From one extreme to the other…
The Flame is super cool, but what about Captain Freeze?
Damian Kasprzyk (Poland) holds the record for longest duration full body contact with ice (male). He spent 5 hours, 1 minute and 33 seconds completely submerged in ice.
What a… chill guy!
Apple Crush
Now, this is what a real superwoman looks like!
Stepping up instead of Captain Marvel is strongwoman Linsey Lindberg from USA.
She used her muscles to break the record for most apples crushed with the bicep in 1 minute (female) managing 10 of them in just 60 seconds.
Linsey, who goes by the nickname “Mama Lou”, also holds the records for most decks of cards ripped in 1 minute (female) and the most telephone directories torn in 1 minute (female), both with a total of 5.
Wonder Wheels
Last but not least, meet Aaron Fotheringham (USA), who just like Professor X, doesn’t let being in a wheelchair stop him from achieving incredible things!
He holds the record for the highest ramp jump by wheelchair at 60 cm.
Iconic!