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CASTEAU, Belgium – SSgt. Terry Twining (GBR Army) has set a new world record
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| CASTEAU, Belgium (December 17, 2008) -- SSgt. Terry Twining (GBR Army) sits in the Belgium National Stadium while attempting to break a world record of seat sitting as part of a fundraiser. The previous world record stood at 39,250 seats and was set in the Rose Bowl stadium in California, USA, earlier this year. Photo by SSgt. James Hennessey (GBR). (RELEASED) |
by sitting in 40,040 seats of the Belgium National Stadium within forty-eight hours - between 9:00 a.m. Mon., Dec.15, and 9:00 a.m. Wed., Dec. 17, 2008. This equates to one squat every two seconds! "It's brilliant that I've broken the record but my legs are killing me," he said. It was some achievement as he has undergone recent surgery for a triple hernia operation. The previous world record stood at 39,250 seats and was set in the Rose Bowl stadium in California, United States, earlier this year.
Twining has a fantastic record of fundraising for good causes, organising an event during each of his postings. In 2001, Twining completed twenty-one marathons in twenty-one days to raise money for the orphans of the Twin Towers terrorist attack, New York. He has also completed a twenty-four-hour treadmill run and a twenty-four-hour combat fitness test. So far, he has raised over £50,000 for worthy causes.
The idea for this record was the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. Twining wondered if it was possible to visit all the stadia in the Euro 2008 competition in twenty-four hours, but he realised, “It would have been impossible to get around to them all in one day. Then I thought that sitting in all the seats of one stadium would be an extreme challenge – so that's what I decided to do. As I live in Belgium – the national stadium in Brussels, King Baudouin Stadium, was the obvious venue.”
A supporter of RAEC Mons, the local professional football team, Twining approached the club for help with his fundraising efforts. They generously offered him the use of their training facilities. On Thurs., Aug. 28, 2008, they hosted a warm up event when Twining sat in all 9205 seats in five and a half
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| CASTEAU, Belgium (December 17, 2008) -- Brig. Gen. David Eccles, United Kingdom National Military Representative (NMR), left, lends support to SSgt. Terry Twining (GBR Army) as Twinning sets a new world record by sitting in 40,040 seats of the Belgium National Stadium within forty-eight hours, between 9:00am Mon., Dec. 15, and 9:00am Wed., Dec. 17, 2008. The previous world record stood at 39,250 seats and was set in the Rose Bowl stadium in California, USA, earlier this year. Photo by SSgt. James Hennessey (GBR). (RELEASED) |
hours. Twining said, “RAEC Mons has been really helpful, this was excellent preparation for my world record attempt." His support team of workmates from SHAPE kept him supplied with food, drink and most importantly - words of encouragement. They were also in Brussels to help him with his world record attempt.
RAEC Mons is in the Belgium-equivalent of the premier European football league; Twining is a season ticket holder and member of the supporter's club.
Twining is raising funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The foundaition is close to Twining's heart, as his grandfather died of lung cancer and his mother was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. Marie Curie Cancer Care helps thousands of cancer sufferers every year by providing specialist homes for the care of cancer patients, nursing for patients at home and running education programmes on the symptoms and treatment of cancer. “Each time I do these events, I try and do something for a local charity for the area I have been posted in and also for a charity that means something to me,” said Twining. He will be donating 2,000 Euros of the proceeds to the children's ward at the local hospital in Mons.
So far, Twining has raised over £4,000 and further donations can be made on Terry's website www.justgiving.com/terrytwining.
Twining, a member of the Adjutant General's Corps (AGC), has been in the British Army for eighteen years and since 2007 has been working at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Casteau, Belgium. Born and brought up in Northern Ireland, Twining and his family have lived in Gosport, Hampshire, for over ten years and think of the south coast town as their home.
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| CASTEAU, Belgium (December 17, 2008) -- SSgt. Terry Twining (GBR Army) sets a new world record by sitting in 40,040 seats of the Belgium National Stadium within forty-eight hours, between 9:00am Mon., Dec. 15, and 9:00am Wed., Dec. 17, 2008. The previous world record stood at 39,250 seats and was set in the Rose Bowl stadium in California, USA, earlier this year. Photo by SSgt. James Hennessey (GBR). (RELEASED) |
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