Rabat – Moroccan Aida Ouaadoudi has set a Guinness World Record for breaking the challenging 30-second time-framed world record in Hula Hoop, making an impressive 122 spins of a hula hoop on one leg in 30 seconds, breaking the previous record that stood at 119 spins.
In an interview following her achievement, the Tangier native spoke of how the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed her perspective on life.
She said she thought her life was coming to an end after she felt unwell last year, but she eventually chose not to give up and decided to shift her focus to activities that brought her joy during her childhood, one being the hula hoop.
“At first, I played the Hula Hoop to kill time, but then it started giving me some muscle, and since I was enjoying it, I decided to pursue it professionally,” Ouaadoudi said in a statement.
The hula hoop is a large toy hoop spun round the body by gyrating the hips, for play or exercise.
When she picked up the sport to escape the emotional and physical exhaustion that came with the pandemic, the 27-year-old record breaker never thought that she would break the Guinness World Record a couple of months later.
Aida started doing more exercise, long walks, and ice baths. She also worked on her breathing and did meditation sessions to increase her flexibility and focus.
“When I first met my ballet and gymnastic trainer, I couldn’t stay still during exercises at first, she helped me in getting more flexible and taught me how to stabilize my body during training,” she added.
As time went by, the hula hoop training paid off for Aida as her skills became more stable. However, she was hesitant to tell her family and friends of her attempt to break a Guinness World Record title.
Ouaadoudi emphasized that achieving a Guinness World Records title was a childhood dream for her.
“Seeing my name on the Guinness World Records website was an exceptional moment for me. Making this achievement changes my perspective that anything you put your mind to is achievable with hard work,” she added.
As for her future career aspirations, the Tangier native says she wants to become a life coach, a stress management trainer, and a yoga instructor.
Another Moroccan athlete who broke the Guinness World Record is swimmer Hassan Baraka who was the first person in the world to swim across the Gulf of Aqaba, northeastern arm of the Red Sea between Saudi Arabia and the Sinai Peninsula in 2014.
Also read: Moroccan Swimmer Hassan Baraka Sets Guinness World Record
Baraka crossed the Gulf of Aqaba in 8 hours and 30 minutes. In a youtube video, he described the experience as the most challenging he has ever had.
After 7 years of waiting, the Moroccan swimmer received his Guinness certificate on October 27.
Born in Tetouan in 1987, Hassan Baraka is the youngest Moroccan swimmer who succeeded in swimming across the strait of Gibraltar in 4hours and 1 minute.
He is also the first Moroccan to finish the World Marathon, a multi-event competition that consists of running 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days. In addition, Baraka holds the record for the swim crossing of both Bosphorus and Gibraltar Straits.
