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Paddy’s true grit wins a world record
By Tom Fitzpatrick
 Some people
like to get up early, go for a jog, shower and then head to work feeling
refreshed.
But would you spend nearly 19 hours running, walking, cycling, swimming,
flexing, jumping, crunching, rowing, weight-lifting, cross-training and
completing push-ups?
To most people that sounds like the stuff of nightmares but for one Irishman
it’s just another attempt at glory.
And the driving force? The Guinness Book Of World Records.
Patrick ‘Paddy’ Doyle was born and raised in Birmingham to
parents from Dublin and Wexford.
He currently holds 80 world records in a variety of fields in fitness
and endurance — all recognised by the Guinness Book Of World Records.
Doyle has now added another four world fitness endurance records to celebrate
Guinness World Records Day earlier this month.
He said: “I live and breathe for the competition. I’ve always
been involved in competitive sports.
“I ran cross-country for my school, was an amateur boxer and competed
in martial arts, particularly judo in which I won bronze and silver medals
representing the Midlands.
“It’s given me the edge for competing in world records.
“My first record was for 4,100 push-ups with a 50lb weight on my
back. That was in 1987 and since then I’ve held 152 records at one
time or another.”
The fitness fan lectures part-time in colleges as well as working as a
training instructor and a British athletics coach — training others
to achieve world records.
The Erin Go Bragh sports centre in Birmingham was the venue where over
150 spectators, girlfriend Deborah Green and friends cheered on the Irishman’s
attempt to set his most recent records.
But where did the interest in record breaking come from?
He said: “I picked up an old edition of the Guinness book in Warwickshire
when I was younger in a flea-market.
“I took a look at the records and thought well I could break that
if I trained hard. I went away and got a coaching team who helped me and
for the first couple of years I focused on breaking press-up records like
the most in one year, which I still hold at 1,500,230.
“That was 4,000 press-ups every day where police officers from the
West-Midlands police force adjudicated.
“Every day had to be filmed too and that’s where it all started.”
Numerous injuries over the years have failed to deter Paddy Doyle who
has his sights set on several hill-mounting endurance records next year.
As for age, it’s not a problem. The 42-year-old said: “Endurance
records are different in that you can actually mature and get better.
“I have a strong strength of mind, a high-pain threshold and I’ll
be carrying on for a long time yet.”
Paddy’s highs and lows…
Toughest Challenge
Physical Fitness Challenge Record set on February 16, 2005.
It involved 11 different fitness events: a 12-mile run, 12-mile walk,
1,250 press-ups, 1,250 star-jumps, 3,250 sit-up crunches, 1,250 straight-hip
flexes, 110-mile cycle, 20-miles rowing, 20-miles cross-trainer, 300,000
lbs lifted and a 2-mile swim.
It took 18 hours and 56 minutes breaking the previous record by 21 minutes.
Worst Injury
Sciatica on his back forcing the Irishman to lie on his stomach for two
months. (As well as broken toes, slipped discs and numerous hamstring
and calf injuries)
First World Record
4,100 push-ups with a 50lb weight on his back, aged 23 in 1987.
Most Recent Records
1,940 Back of hand push-ups in 1 hour
4,708 circuit training squats in 1 hour
5,750 full contact roundhouse martial kicks in 1 hour
World Strength Fitness Record (10-mile speed march carrying 56lb, 63-mile
cycle, 367 back-hand push-ups, 633 squats, 830 roundhouse kicks) in 7
hours. |
