A kind-hearted fitness fanatic raised thousands of dollars for a cause close to his heart and bagged an impressive world record in the process.
Jaxon Italiano (Australia) is the new record holder for most pull ups in 24 hours (male) with a whopping 8,008, blowing the previous record of 7,715 out of the water.
He took on the record, not only for his own personal achievement, but also to raise cash for a charity that helps people with dementia, having been inspired through his work in a care home.
Jaxon set out to raise $1 AUD (56p; 67c) for every pull up he planned to do.
But, he surpassed his goal and ended up raising a whopping $8,782 AUD (£4,925.30; $5,914.72 USD).
He said on his fundraising page: “I am aiming to raise $1 for every pull up I manage to do. But I need your help! Please make a donation to support my efforts and help me reach my goal to beat dementia.
“All funds raised will support the work of Dementia Australia to provide vital support services for people living with dementia, their families and carers. These services include counselling, support groups, education and training.”
Jaxon’s feat is even more impressive due to the fact he had to overcome injuries, mental strain, and rhabdomyolysis, a serious medical condition that occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases its proteins and electrolytes into the blood. The condition can be fatal or result in permanent disability.
He told The Daily Telegraph in Australia of his accomplishment: “The hardest part was getting up to the bar every 30 seconds, that was torture.
“The mental strain you put yourself through, so many times I was close to quitting.”
When applying for the record, Jaxon told us: “I decided to break the world record for most pull ups in 24 hours because pull ups are something I am good at and I believe that if you are good at something, then you should take it as far as you can.
“I thought it would be a good idea to partner this record attempt with a charity addressing dementia, as this is an illness I have had to work with first-hand when I used to work in a nursing home and something that I think needs more awareness due to its increasing prevalence.”
Jaxon trained for his attempt for eight months, and had to push back the date he’d planned to undertake it due to injury.
It was on 15 November, last year, that Jaxon smashed the challenge in Sydney, New South Wales.
He ended his attempt with time to spare, admitting his body was too exhausted to continue.
But after breaking the record and raising so much money for charity, no one can doubt how incredible his effort was.
