By Anna Gustafson
Jamaica resident Ashrita Furman lives an extraordinary life.
He has skipped with tigers, hula−hooped in Australia and bounced on a ball along the Great Wall of China.
After breaking world records on all seven continents, Furman, 54, became the first person to hold 100 Guinness World Records at once at an April 14 event at City Hall. Furman coordinated the event, during which he and more than 100 others recited the poem “Precious,” by the Indian spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy, in 111 languages, from Africaans to Zulu.
The group beat the current record held by the International Social Service of Hong Kong, which recited “Values on Communal Harmony” in 79 different languages in November 2008.
“It’s been an incredible adventure,” Furman said of becoming the first person to capture 100 Guinness World Records simultaneously. “It’s an outer and inner adventure. You’re really pursuing the limits of your capacity, and you realize in the end there are no limits.”
City Councilman James Gennaro (D−Fresh Meadows) presided over the poetry recitation, and Guinness World Records Judge Danny Girton Jr. was on hand to verify the feat.
“This is exactly the type of event that should take place in the seat of New York City government,” Gennaro said in a statement. “To speak and hear the precious utterances of Sri Chinmoy is truly an inspiration.”
Furman, who manages Guru Health Foods on Parsons Boulevard and 87th Avenue in Jamaica, has broken more than 225 world records since 1979, when he did 27,000 jumping jacks in 5 1⁄2 hours. The Jamaica resident, who grew up in Kew Gardens Hills, said he was inspired to compete for his first record after he began following Sri Chinmoy, an Indian spiritual leader who encouraged his followers to meditate.
“His philosophy is about transcending your limitations to get closer to God,” Furman said. “I realized after a number of years that by using meditation I could do anything.”
It was not always easy training for the various records, and Furman remembers well the pain in preparing to beat the record for somersaulting the longest continuous distance.
“I started trying and trying and couldn’t do it,” Furman said. “Every time I’d do a few rolls, I’d get nauseous. I’d go out at 2 a.m. and train at a track at Hillcrest High School. I remember the first time I somersaulted miles, I was dirty, throwing up and covered in dirt and glass, but I was so excited.”
Furman ended up somersaulting 12.25 miles in 1986. He has also skipped the fastest 5 kilometers, during which he skipped with a full−grown tiger that almost attacked him, but was held down by trainers.
He holds records for:
• traveling the fastest mile while bouncing on a ball — Furman traveled it in a little more than 15 minutes along the Great Wall of China.
• the most games of hopscotch completed — he did 534 in Mexico
• walking the greatest length while balancing a pool cue on a fingertip — Furman traveled more than 7 miles in Egypt and
• the most forward rolls in one hour — he did 1,330 in Bulgaria.
Reach reporter Anna Gustafson by e−mail at agustafson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 174.
