In Nigeria, a trend of unusual endurance feats has emerged, with individuals attempting to break records and push their physical and emotional limits. One man, Tembu Ebere, forced himself to cry continuously for seven days in an attempt to achieve a unique feat. However, this extreme endeavor took a toll on him, causing headaches, puffy eyes, and a swollen face. At one point, he even experienced partial blindness for 45 minutes. Despite the difficulties he faced, Tembu remained determined to reach his target and continued to sob towards his goal.
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“I had to re-strategise and reduce my wailing,” he told the BBC, adding he was determined to sob towards his target despite the difficulties encountered.
This trend of record-breaking attempts began when a chef named Hilda Baci embarked on a four-day cooking marathon to promote Nigerian cuisine and gain recognition on a global scale. Her endeavor gained massive attention, even causing the official Guinness World Records website to crash for two days. Although she fell short of the 100-hour mark, her achievement of 93 hours and 11 minutes still broke the previous cooking marathon record set in India in 2019. Following her success, many others were inspired to try similar feats, including attempts at breaking records for singing, praying, and kissing.
Also Read: Hilda Baci awarded record for world’s longest cooking marathon
John Obot, a schoolteacher, has announced his intention to read classic literature aloud for 140 hours in September, as part of this record-breaking frenzy. However, some of these stunts have faced criticism for being seen as frivolous or offensive.
“The motivation is to promote reading culture in Nigeria,” he said, adding he had chosen a “record that is meaningful”.
Nevertheless, the enthusiasm for eccentric feats of endurance continues to captivate the public’s imagination in Nigeria.
