Teen out to swing record
It’s 2pm on Wednesday and 16-year-old Charlie O’Brien has been on a swing at Taradale Park for eight hours — but he’s feeling good. The motion sickness has gone, his legs no longer ache and he’s had another hot-chocolate confiscated because it upsets his tum, according to friend and organiser Kate Shellard.
The Taradale High School student is determined to prove a point and break a Guinness World Record — by swinging on a Napier park swing for 40 hours in a row.
“He’s been swarmed with people ever since this morning, he’s become
somewhat of a local celebrity — people have been bringing him food, wanting to take photos and all sorts of things,” Shellard said.
“He’s not feeling tired at all and all the support seems to have given him that extra boost to break the record.”
O’Brien said it wasn’t a case of just plopping on a swing and going for it — a lot of preparation was involved: “We need four people here at all times to witness what I’m doing and officially record it. There’s a lot of messy rules we have to follow as well.”
Two witnesses and two timekeepers must watch progress. So of all things to choose, why a swing?
“I was just sitting on a swing with my friend one day and I just said ‘I’m going to go for the swing world record — it just popped into my mind’.”
The record is 32 hours, but he has a five-minute respite each hour for food or loo breaks.
“I’m starting to feel a little bit seasick from swinging for a few hours, but we’ve got sea-sickness tablets and things like that — some gingernut biscuits might be good.”
Shellard organised the timetable — it wasn’t easy: “We need about 20 people here to help us out because everyone has to do four-hour shifts where we just have to sit and watch him.”
Charlie will swing the record if he lasts until 2pm today.