New Zealander breaks record with 941 bungee jumps in one day
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Mr Mike Heard began bungee jumping off Auckland Bridge at 7am on Tuesday, and kept at it for 24 hours.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
WELLINGTON – A New Zealander smashed the world record on Wednesday for the most bungee jumps in 24 hours after making a total of 941 leaps off Auckland Bridge.
Mr Mike Heard, 41, toppled the previous record of 765 jumps set by Frenchman Francois-Marie Dibon in Scotland in 2022.
Starting at 7am on Tuesday, Mr Heard passed Mr Dibon’s record in the early hours of Wednesday before powering on to set the new best mark, his support team said.
“It certainly wasn’t easy and, going into it, I knew it would be a massive challenge. The number of jumps we had to hit added a whole new level of nerves to this attempt for me,” Mr Heard said.
“But the record needed to be here because bungee is a part of our DNA,” he said.
Mr Heard, who lives in Auckland, was showered with blue confetti after his 941st and final leap just before 7am on Wednesday.
Bungee jumping is the extreme sport of leaping from a great height
According to the operator’s website, the bungee jump at Auckland Bridge is 40m high.
Before starting his record attempt, Mr Heard said he steeled himself for the marathon challenge by adding ice baths and cold showers to his training regimen.
He previously set the record in 2008 and 2017.
Mr Heard said he was motivated to bring the record to New Zealand and raise money for a mental health charity.
“It feels wrong to let this record be held by any country other than New Zealand, and I want it back,” he said before attempting to reclaim the record. AFP
