Ashrita Furman holds the world record for setting world records; at this moment, he holds nearly 400 of them, from the bizarre to the "he must be crazy".
When you hear of a person like this you instinctively know that there is much more to the story than what sits on the surface, and in this case you would not be wrong.
Ashrita was raised in an upper middle class family. At an early age his parents noticed that their son was extremely gifted academically, and from that point forward, expected very big things from their son. Of course, they were more of the "we expect you to go to Harvard and become a lawyer" variety than setting the world record for doing the most jumping jacks. Ashrita decided to follow a different path from what his parent's expected, and he turned instead to a life dedicated to eastern spirituality. His Guru turned out to be a fan of feats of athletic prowess, so Ashrita decided he would set a world record to impress the Guru. And he has never looked back.
There is always something inspirational about watching someone who is so singularly minded, because they accomplish things no person with a variety of interests and responsibilities ever could. Not all of his feats turn into world records – his attempts are not always planned ahead, nor are they always practical. Rather, he is imparting a life lesson: don't let the real world get in the way of what you want to accomplish with your life.
The Record Breaker
Directed by: Brian McGinn
Produced by: Mette Heide
http://www.hotdocs.ca//film/title/record_breaker
