Damien Rooney, a former professional mixed martial artist from Burren, outside Newry, has secured a new Guinness World Record. He completed 499 chin-ups in one hour while wearing a 20lb weight, exceeding the previous record of 495 reps.
Mr Rooney, who runs his own gym, stated that the record was achieved on June 1, with confirmation from Guinness World Records received in September. He explained that the verification process can take up to 20 weeks due to stringent checks of video footage.
Looking ahead, Mr Rooney intends to pursue further challenges. He plans to attempt the one-hour unweighted chin-up record before aiming for the 24-hour record, which could involve up to 10,000 reps, in April 2027.