But when you’re 68, born with a disability, and the climb is 150 times up a tree, the challenge becomes even more extreme.
The Synergy team member behind this formidable feat is Laurence Mitchell, from Enfield, London.
His plan is to complete the record next Summer, with a little help from Synergy’s nutritional products, namely ProArgi-9+!
Laurence has already scaled 38 feet up a tree, 100 times, to raise money for the charity Greenpeace. And now he will need to climb the same tree at London’s Trent Park, 150 times.
Explained Laurence: “It took 9 hours last time and I’m now doing 50% more so it’s certainly going to test my physical and mental stamina. It’s a non-stop speed climb and the amount of rest is just a few seconds here and there. But to complete my challenge I must work-out three times a week in the gym to help strengthen my injured shoulder.
“Plus, this is no ordinary tree because each climb requires several pull-ups. The lowest branch is 9ft off the ground and needs a good ‘haul up’. Without exaggerating my challenge is the equivalent of an almost-impossible 1,000 pull-ups.
“But my adventures in the treetops are not just about getting up and down safely. I have found a way to live life to the fullest, keep fit, be at one with nature, and leave behind past tragedies.”
Laurence lost his first wife almost 20 years ago to depression when she took her own life by jumping from the roof of a block of flats.
He said: “Tree climbing has saved me from past traumas - including losing my first wife and a serious accident when I smashed several vertebrae in my back.
“I was also born with a congenital disability – wrists, arms and elbow joints are affected – and this brings an additional challenge to my climbing. But it also helps me to overcome mental obstacles and prove that age is just a number.
Added Laurence: “I needed something that was almost death-defying to calm my anxieties of the past.
“And little did I know at the age of 65 I would meet my future wife in London. Our first rendezvous was at Trent Park.”
Laurence has started a website called www.over60and.fit and can be found on Instagram at treetopmanfit. He has also joined Synergy Worldwide introducing the supplements to fellow climbers and friends to boost their energy levels and physical strength.
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