AshritaFurmanOnNovember17,AmericanAshritaFurman-world'slargestnumberofGuinnessRecordsholder,brokeyetanotherrecordbyfinishing5milesonapairof100cm-highstiltsin39minutesand55secondsonthebeautifulIslandRingRoadinXiamen.Theoldrecordof42minuteshadbeenheldbyaFrenchmansince1892.ThiswasFurman's91stGuinnessRecord,amongwhich87havebeenofficiallyapproved.HisfirstrecordinChinaWalkingonapairofironstiltsisnevereasyforanyone,nottomentionwalkingfor5mileswithin40minutes.Itnotonlyrequiresgreatphysicalstrengthandendurancebutalsomentalconcentration.Ashritasaidhewasalsoverynervousbeforehestartedthatmorningsincehehadnevereventried5milesbeforebutonly4milesandwasn'tsurewhetherhecouldcompleteitandbreaktheoldrecord."NowI'mveryhappythatImadeit.Inthelastmile,Ihadtobereallyfocused.TherewereafewtimeswhenIlostmybalancealittleandalmostfelltotheground.Icouldn'taffordafall,becauseit'sverydifficulttostandupagainonthosestiltsonceyoufall.WhenIreachedthefinishingline,Iwasextraordinarilyexcited."AshritahadbeentrainingformonthsanditwashishopethathecouldmakethisnewrecordinChina.HisfirstdestinationinChinawasSanyainSouthernChina'sHainanIsland.Butitwastoohotthere.SohecametoXiamen."IarrivedinXiamenonDecember7.ThisismyfirsttimetovisitXiamenandit'smyfavoriteplaceinChina.Ireallyliketheweather,theseaandthenicepeople.WhenIsawtheIslandRingRoad,Iknewthatitwastheperfectplace.NowI'mveryhappythatIsetmyfirstrecordinChina."ThetruthisthatthisrecordinXiamenisthemostimpressiveuptonow.I'mveryhonestaboutthat,notbecauseI'minChinanowbutratherthatthisrecordhadbeenheldformorethan100years.Thishasbeenahardvictorybecauseitwasreallydifficult.Ilostaboutfourkilosinthethree-monthsoftrainingforthisrecord.ThestiltsweighfourkiloseachandIhadtobalanceataheightof55cmofftheground.Ihadtokeepalleyesandearsopen."
