Dr. Thienna Ho, founder of Thienna, Inc., a skin care company that focuses on health, is no stranger to setting world records. She is the current Guinness World Records' holder for the most sumo squats in one hour. And, on Saturday, December 20, she completed yet another world record - the longest wall sit. Dr. Thienna's record-setting time was 11 hours, 51 minutes, and 14 seconds; the event took place at World Team USA Gymnasium in San Francisco.The former Guinness World Records' holder for the longest wall sit was Rajkumar Chakraborty at 11 hours and five minutes; this record was set at Panposh Sports Hostel, Rourkela, India, on April 22, 1994.
Dr. Thienna was inspired to set this record in honor of her mother, who passed away from dermatomyosis, an autoimmune disease, after three years of struggle.
"My mother was confined to her bed for almost three years," Dr. Thienna says. "I remember her telling me that she would often dream of going outside to walk around. What better way to honor her memory than by dedicating a physical feat of this capacity to her?"
Dr. Thienna explains that while the wall sit was a great physical challenge, the process of not being able to move for almost 12 hours was even greater.
"I now have a better understanding of what my mother went through in the sense of being confined. I could not have been confined for three years like she was," Dr. Thienna says.
During the record-setting experience, approximately seven hours into the wall sit, a few blisters appeared on Dr. Thienna's feet. The skin on her back also started to burn from moving up and down on the wall.
All in all, she felt she was quite lucky and the pain was minimal.
"Maybe I'm resistant to lactic-acid buildup; I don't know," she says, "but, I do know that I had no knee, joint or back pain."
An hour away from breaking the record, Dr. Thienna explains that her body felt like it was falling asleep or even somewhat paralyzed from the waist down.
"My mother was my inspiration and I could feel her cheering me on the whole time," Dr. Thienna adds. "I am so glad I was able to set this record and appreciate all the support I received from friends and family."
She is currently awaiting official notification from Guinness World Records.
