June 8 (UPI) — A fitness coach living in Dubai broke a Guinness World Record by holding a static wall sit position, also known as Samson’s chair, for 2 minutes and 8.24 seconds.
Dareen Barbar, a Lebanon native living in Dubai, took on the static wall sit world record to commemorate the anniversary of when her left leg was amputated above the knee when she was a teenager.
“Breaking the record on 4th of June means a lot to me because in this month in 1993 I lost my leg and here I am in the same month 28 years later breaking a Guinness World Records title,” Barber told Guinness.
Barber said she broke her left hip in 2013 and had to have two screws installed. She said going to the gym to aid in her recovery led her to discover a passion for fitness.
“I started going to the gym after my broken hip accident in 2013. It grew each day with discovering my abilities and how far I can go in exercising and overcoming challenges,” she said.
Barber, who now works as a fitness and lifestyle coach, said she drew inspiration from Terry Fox, a Canadian athlete who also had a leg amputated due to cancer.
“His story inspired me to start a public profile on all social media networks and share my life and fitness journey with people to raise awareness towards inclusivity of the disabled in all aspects in life especially sports. And how people who have disabilities can be productive and successful regardless of obstacles,” she said.