Memphis man breaks push-up world record, raises funds for St. Jude
A Memphis man set a new world record for diamond push-ups while raising thousands of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Issac Coleman, 36, broke the Guinness World Record for the most diamond push-ups — push-ups while placing your fingers in a diamond formation — in 60 seconds in front of a Guinness judge Sunday to raise money and awareness for kids battling cancer.
“United against cancer is the answer,” Coleman said is his “cheesy but scientifically true” slogan for his fundraisers.
“Cancer affects so many of us, but these babies, the children, they had no idea this was coming to them.”
Coleman raised $9,211 out of his $10,000 goal for St. Jude and hit 108 diamond push-ups at Collierville’s Perfect Chiropractic, 1011 West Poplar Ave., beating China’s Hong Zhongtao’s previous world record of 96 in a minute.
This is Coleman’s second world record. His first came in thumb push-ups in 2019, which also raised money for St. Jude.
“I’ve been training for this for the last two years,” he said. “Yesterday, I expected to be at $10,000 already and expected to hit at least 120 push-ups, but I’m not sure what happened.”
He said although he did not meet his expectations, his contribution to St. Jude and his new record set examples for others.
“Teamwork makes the dream work,” he said.
Coleman chose to break the world records while raising money for St. Jude as a way to lead by example for his clients at his gym, The Reality of Fitness, and do as much as he can to help further pediatric cancer research.
His record for thumb push-ups was beaten about a year ago and now he plans to take back the title in May 2022 while raising money for another organization, but details are still in the works.
“We can make the so-called impossible, possible,” Coleman said. “United against cancer is the answer, and we have to do grand stands to show and support that movement.”
Dima Amro covers the suburbs for The Commercial Appeal and can be reached at Dima.amro@commercialappeal.com.