Joaquim, a man from Ontario, Canada, who has set 63 Guinness World Records, set off on a bicycle from Vancouver in western Canada on the 15th to ride to Halifax in the easternmost part of the country to raise funds for sick children. He also hopes to break the record of crossing Canada by bicycle in 13 days, 6 hours, and 12 minutes. Joaquim plans to ride continuously for 21 hours each day to complete the approximately 6,500 km journey.
The event, called "Together Supporting the Children's Fund," is organized by a group called PGA International. Joaquim previously set a record in July 2010 for riding a bicycle continuously for nine days while stationary, and the organizers hope he will succeed in breaking another record this time.
Dava, the owner of PGA International and a famous Bollywood choreographer, spoke at a press conference and send-off event held on the morning of the 15th at Vancouver City Hall Square. In addition to praising Joaquim's courage, she also wished him success in breaking the record.
PGA International spokesperson Kadarquia stated that regardless of weather conditions, Joaquim is expected to ride continuously for 21 hours each day, take brief breaks, and then continue his journey. She said Joaquim has received professional training, is in good condition, and is confident about completing the challenge. Joaquim’s entire journey will be monitored by staff to ensure his safety.
Kadarquia said there is no fundraising target for this sick children’s campaign, but $2,000 CAD (approximately 1 USD = 1 CAD) has been raised so far.
According to a report by Sing Tao Daily here, 43-year-old Joaquim is from Mississauga, Ontario, and has made breaking Guinness World Records one of his professions. He has set 63 Guinness World Records, maintained over 30 of them, and raised 1 billion CAD for charitable organizations.
Previous Guinness World Records set by Joaquim include: dancing continuously for 125 hours, drumming non-stop for 84 hours, running continuously for 1,000 hours, and crawling continuously for 56.62 km.