A Nanoose Bay man aims to break the Guinness World Records standard for chest-to-ground burpees, to raise funds for the National Police Federation Benevolent Foundation.
Mitchel Cook, a former player with the Oceanside Generals of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, will attempt to set a new mark for the most burpees in one hour on Nov. 5.
The 21-year-old fitness enthusiast said he loves to push himself to find out how much his body can endure.
“I kind of had that,” said Cook. “With different hockey camps, you always would push yourself to be the best you can be and see what you can achieve. I just love the endurance stuff. So within an hour, it would be cool to see how far I can go.”
Since applying to Guinness World Records six months ago, Cook said the burpees record has changed, making his already challenging goal a lot tougher.
When Cook submitted his application, the mark was 879, set by CrossFit athlete Nick Anapolsky of Kitchener, Ont., in March. That was shattered in July by a Brazilian mixed-martial art fighter, Cassiano Rodrigues Laureano, who recorded 951 burpees.
“Nobody has hit the 1,000 mark and that’s what I will be aiming for,” said Cook. “I want to be the first one to break the 1,000 mark. That would be a really cool achievement.”
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Burpees are difficult exercise that combines push ups, squats and a jump all in one fluid and challenging motion.
“It’s a full-body workout,” said Cook, who is currently in school taking a nutritional consulting diploma program at the Alive Academy. “It’s not just using your arm or curling something. When you break it down, you’re using your shoulders, your legs, biceps, chest, your glutes and hamstrings. You need strength in your muscles and also endurance because you’re doing so many reps. Then you throw in your cardiovascular system. So it’s really cool. I think it’s such an incredible kind of movement.”
Cook has been training diligently each week and says he feels good and confident.
To hit 1,000 burpees in 60 minutes, he has to average approximately 16.7 per minute.
To motivate himself even more, Cook has chosen to raise funds for the non-profit National Police Federation Benevolent Foundation because of his brother, an RCMP officer in Nunavut. The charitable foundation was established in 2020 to help and supports the families of fallen members.
Cook said, this being his first fundraising initiative, he has no idea how much money he should raise. But he welcomes any donations and support for the foundation.
“Obviously the money is going to be fantastic but I thought the exposure for the benevolent foundation is also important because they are quite new,” said Cook. “Raising funds would be phenomenal but money can be tight for many people. We are in a pandemic. Anything is phenomenal but the exposure is also great.”
Cook has put up posters around Parksville Qualicum Beach that have a QR code people can scan using the camera on their cellphones. It will direct you to the National Police Federation Benevolent Foundation donation website where you can make a donation and also receive a tax receipt.
To learn more about the National Police Federation Benevolent Foundation go to https://foundation.npf-fpn.com/
You can also follow Cook on Instagram at mcook.fit.
