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Ashrita FurmanAmerican record holder
Date of Birth: 16.09.1954
Country:  USA |
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Ashrita Furman: American Record Breaker
Ashrita Furman is an American record holder who has set over 300 records documented in the Guinness Book of Records since 1979. Currently, Furman holds 144 records, including the official record for the most records held simultaneously. He has set records on all seven continents and in over 30 different countries around the world.
Early Life and Inspiration
Ashrita Furman, originally named Keith Furman, was born on September 16, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, and attended Jamaica High School. As a child, Furman was fascinated by the Guinness Book of Records but never thought he would be able to set any records himself as he was not athletically inclined.
Everything changed when Furman became interested in spiritual practices during his teenage years. In 1970, he became a devoted follower of Sri Chinmoy, an Indian spiritual and public figure who had a passion for sports, particularly marathons. Chinmoy inspired Furman to participate in a 24-hour bike race in New York's Central Park in 1978. Despite only preparing for the race for two weeks, Furman finished third, covering 405 miles (652 km). This experience became one of the most profound moments in his life, as he realized that it was not his body but his inner spirit that powered him through the 24 hours.
Furman believes that through meditation, he was able to tap into an unlimited source of energy present in everyone, which is seldom utilized. He decided to attempt breaking some Guinness records to inspire others to find this source of their own unstoppable inner strength. Around the same time, Furman changed his name to Ashrita, which means "protected by God" in Sanskrit.
Record-Breaking Achievements
In 1979, Furman set his first official record by jumping 27,000 times in a specific way where his legs spread out and his hands clapped above his head. In 1986, he invented and set a record with an underwater pogo stick, showcasing it on the television show "Good Morning America" on April Fool's Day.
From 1982 onwards, Furman has been managing a health food store in Queens, New York. He also works as an instructor for meditation groups, which has given him the opportunity to travel the world. His records have been set in over 30 countries across the globe, including iconic landmarks such as the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, and the massive temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
In China, Furman broke a record by running 8 km (5 miles) on stilts, surpassing a previous record set in 1892. Furman is considered one of the most prolific inventors of new record-breaking methods, many of which require exceptional physical preparation. He even developed a technique called "belly flopping" where he propels himself forward by sliding on his belly.
