Islander will seek world record for chin-ups Aug. 20

On Saturday, Aug. 20, Islander David Brush, 20, will launch his quest to break the Guinness World Record for the most chin-ups in a 24-hour period.

The record is 5,340 and Mr. Brush, a junior English major at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., aims to complete 5,500 chin-ups, raising $5,500 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

He is already well on its way to succeeding. As of Tuesday, his GoFundMe page showed contributions of $3,340. His inspiration is to honor his grandfather, Donald Hess, who passed away in January  after battling Parkinson’s Disease.

When he initially set up his GoFundMe page, his goal in terms of money was $1,500, but he quickly “smashed” that, he said.

At the suggestion of his mother, Diane Brush, he raised the goal to the $5,500 level to match the chin-ups he aims to perform.

“My grandfather’s life was defined by his relentless pursuit of excellence and an infectious sense of humor that is fondly remembered by everyone who knew him,” David said on his GoFundMe page. “Even when his Parkinson’s was at its worst, my grandfather was still the most inspirational person I’ve ever known,” he said.

Two cameras will be set up at different angles as required by Guinness. Guinness also requires that there are witnesses onsite to confirm his achievement.

He is reaching out to friends, but if you’re interested in being among the official witnesses, you can email him at [email protected].

He’ll be at his home at 20 Hilo Drive and will begin his quest at noon Saturday, Aug. 20. To achieve his goal, David’s been training for about six months and working to improve his eating habits.

When he was at Xavier High School in New York City, he was a runner, and said at the time he didn’t concern himself with diet. But since his training began — involving building his upper body strength by doing chin-ups — he’s tried to adhere to a more healthy eating plan, steering clear of junk foods and eating more vegetables, he said.

His plans include streaming the effort so people can tune in and check his progress. He has set that up on YouTube at youtube.com/channel/UCfVWNBEt6Tcknbw-ujLmQ2A.