Daniel Scali, from Australia, has obliterated the Guinness World Record for longest held plank, smashing the previous record held by an ex-Marine.
The previous record was set in February 2020 by the ex-Marine George Hood, who was able to hold a plank for an unbelievable 8 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds.
And now, officials have recognised Scali’s attempt from August 2021 as the new world record; 9 hours, 30 minutes and 1 second - an absolutely incredible achievement.
Not only is the nine-and-a-half our plank extraordinary as it is, he did it whilst suffering from CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome), which means his arm is in constant pain at the slightest bit of pressure - and this was the reasoning behind his attempt. The condition causes the brain to send incorrect messages to his injured arm, and he developed it at only 12 years old.
Scali wanted to showcase what you can accomplish regardless of your circumstances.
He wore a compression sleeve throughout the plank in order to try and alleviate the pain and intense pressure on his arm, yet still suffered.
He explained the surreal experience to Guinness World Records, and said: “Obviously putting constant pressure on my elbow and forearm, up to my shoulder did give me quite a bit of grief at the start, It was a full head to toe experience of constant pain. My feet were numb. My knees were burning. My thighs were burning. My left arm felt like it was on fire. But it was all worth it in the end."
His preparation for the plank included endless workouts of push-ups and sit-ups, seemingly to prepare his core for the nine-hour stint it would have to endure.
"When I finished the plank, the emotions that ran through me were phenomenal. The emotion of joy. I've achieved the goal, I've achieved my main objective of bringing awareness to CRPS, and I've achieved the record.
"I wanted to prove to people that no matter what the circumstances you go through, no matter what pain barriers you have - if you put your mind to it and you believe you can do it, you can achieve it.
"If someone told me five years ago that I'd be going for a Guinness World Records attempt for the world's longest plank, I wouldn't believe it. I didn't have the belief back then, nor did I have the courage, to accept what I had to deal with."