Ironically, Samuel Finn doesn’t like burpees, a series of exercises that work the entire body.
• Also read: [VIDÉO] Samuel Finn’s final training session before his attempt to break a Guinness record
“I hate exercise, especially during this prep! “I can’t wait to do my 1010th burpee and keep going,” he says.
So why did you embark on this crazy adventure not once, but twice?
“It’s a very universal exercise. Nobody likes doing burpees and I was looking for a super hard challenge to spread the message that we’re all capable of more than we think, even if it’s not fun. »
Multiple failures
About four weeks before Finn set the record of 5,234 burpees in 12 hours, his trainer prepared him a 40-minute program at a speed of 13 burpees per minute. Although he found the exercise very tedious, as soon as he got home, he searched for the record on the Internet for an hour. Although he was far from it, the idea crossed his mind.
“I thought about breaking my record again, but to be honest, one hour scares me a lot more than twelve hours. Because it’s a sprint over 60 minutes. “It’s very difficult to keep up and I failed a lot in training,” says the son of former Nordiques defender Steven Finn.
$80,000 goal
His first grade was lowered and Finn recommended people who wanted to try to surpass him.
“What I like about world records is that there is a small community that wants to create visibility and raise funds for good causes. »
In his case, Finn is raising money for the Cedars Cancer Foundation. As of Friday, nearly $50,000 had been raised, including from the Cédric Finn Fund. His goal is $80,000, $10,000 more than he was able to raise in 2019.
▶ A donation is possible on the website gofundme.com/f/cedric-finn-fund
Two judges who have no room for error
In order for Samuel Finn’s record to be recognized by Guinness World Records, he must count on the presence of two independent judges, including one with expertise in the field of health.
Valérie Milton, kinesiologist and physical trainer, and Cédric Chedore, a colleague from the Performe Plus Center in Boisbriand, are the lucky ones.
“We are used to working with all types of athletes, but we don’t often see challenges like this, so it’s super exciting to experience it,” emphasizes Valérie Milton.
Despite the excitement of the moment, the jurors will have very specific tasks to complete.
“You have to make sure that the movement is executed well,” she explains. When he goes on the floor, his hands and feet must respect the lines. We also need to make sure he stretches his arms. »
Valérie Milton will be one of the judges on Saturday. Photo Martin Chevalier
Stay focused
The judges have no right to make mistakes. If a Guinness representative can’t travel to Montreal’s North Shore, his credibility is proof of everything, backed up by two cameras.
“We have to be very focused and think about how we set up the table so as not to be too distracted by the spectators,” says Valérie Milton. There are several young people we are training who would like to witness this achievement, this great example of perseverance. Plus he’s doing this for his brother, I think it’s great. »