Jimmy Choi, a Chicago athlete who has been living with Parkinson’s disease for nearly 20 years, broke a Guinness World Record by completing 30 chest-to-ground burpees in 1 minute. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records
May 20 (UPI) — A 46-year-old Chicago man who has been battling Parkinson’s disease for nearly 20 years broke a Guinness World Record by performing 30 chest-to-ground burpees in 1 minute.
Jimmy Choi, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 27, said he used his love of athletic activities to manage the condition, a brain disorder that leads to uncontrollable shaking, muscle stiffness and imbalance.
Choi said he started practicing burpees as a means of protecting himself from falls while training for marathons.
“When you look at it, a burpee is a controlled fall to the ground and then pushing myself back up so I can do it all over again. It was my desire to learn a safety skill for my situation that led me to add burpees to my daily routine,” he told Guinness World Records.
Choi successfully broke the Guinness World Record for most chest-to-ground burpees in 1 minute when he completed 30 in the allotted time.
The athlete, who has competed on NBC Sport’s American Ninja Warrior five times, said he wants his record to show others with brain disorders and similar illness that they “can still thrive and accomplish things that most people thought only 100% healthy people can do.”