Afua Asantewaa Aduonum, a young Ghanaian woman who recently finished a Guinness World Record attempt for the longest singing marathon, revealed that she had other record ideas before choosing the sing-a-thon.
According to her, she had wanted to attempt to break the record for the fastest 100 metres run in heels by a woman but was advised against it by her husband.
The current record 13.557 seconds was achieved by Majken Sichlau (Denmark) during the Tarnby Games 2015 at Tarnby Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 2 May 2015.
Afua Asantewaa said she instead choose the sing-a-thon because it was a way for her to link her personal goal of achieving the record to the national goal of spreading Ghanaian music globally.
"I initially wanted to try the fastest 100 metres run in heels by a woman. That was my first choice. But my husband advised me against it. He said I should go for something I was passionate about and would not give up easily.
“I'm a very passionate person and I love music, so I decided to go for the longest singing marathon. I also wanted to promote Ghanaian music and make it more popular, like the Nigerians have done.
“That was my motivation, to link my action to a national goal, which is to put Ghana music on the global stage and make it enjoyable and attractive for every Ghanaian," she said.
She also said that her record attempt was inspired by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci, who set the record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual with 93 hours and 11 minutes in early 2023.
"I admire everything women do. I don't know why, but that's what I believe in: supporting women and making sure that we all rise together. So, when I saw what the lady did in Nigeria, I thought it was a great achievement," she said.
She expressed her gratitude for the public support, saying that local media reported that over 350 Ghanaians had applied to Guinness World Records to try different records.
"It was a concert that brought the society together and united. I'm glad if it has inspired others to try other records," she said.
ID/OGB
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