Keep on pushin’: How an Ottawa man broke the world record for pushups

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For record number one, Roy completed 3,416 push-ups in one hour.  Record number two was for 100 push-ups with his feet on an 80cm high table.  Beating the previous record of 68 seconds, he achieved this feat in just under 46 seconds.  Record number 3 saw him successfully complete 138 push-ups in one minute.

You might wonder would drive a person to seek such records.  He says the first record came as the result of a conversation in the early 1990's between himself and his brother Lee after watching Pat Doyle who was then record holder.  Roy told his brother he was going to try for the record and when he achieved it, would dedicate it to Lee.  When Lee was killed a short while later on a mission with UN Peacekeeping, Roy determined to make good on his promise.  He tried three times before he achieved his first successful results.

Ottawa resident Roy Berger is the holder of an impressive four Guinness World Records, all for push-ups.

Going after subsequent records seems just part of Roy's philosophy in life.  Working for schools with children with behavioural issues he is always trying to instil in them a sense of pride and accomplishment.

"For these kids, and for anyone," he said, "it's all about setting goals that are attainable and then working towards them bit by bit until you get where you want to be."  He says he doesn't believe in setting high unrealistic goals but rather in setting and achieving goals that are a challenge, no matter how small that challenge may seem to others.  Any success, any time you've done your best, regardless of the outcome, is a success.  "With Guinness it's tough because they only recognize number one; never tell you who number two is.  But as long as you know you've done your best and given it your all, you are a winner, regardless of the end result," he says.

How does one train to achieve a Guinness World Record?  For Roy it's a combination of a lot of things - callisthenics, push-ups of course, weight training, and at the base of it all, a smart life style that includes healthy eating, regular fitness and appropriate rest.  Without these at the base he believes no one can achieve.

He has some good advice for people who believe they can't do something or talk themselves out of doing something.  "You have to take that inner voice saying, no I can't do that and turn it into a voice that says, you know, it will be really hard, but I can do it if I keep at it."

Roy's personal philosophy is the result of experience.  As one of three children raised by a single parent, his childhood was not prosperous. A turning point in his life came one summer though when he was a participant at Christie Lake Camp, a group dedicated to providing recreational opportunities for children and youth living in poverty.  It was at this camp that Roy learned the value of setting goals and believing in himself.

Roy has used many of his record attempts as an opportunity to raise money for local children's charities.  He has put on demonstrations at local malls and sports bars where he accepts donations on behalf of these groups and turns them back into supporting the community and the camp he credits with turning his life around.

Roy is currently perusing record number four and will continue in his attempts until he is satisfied he has achieved everything he can and has given it his all.

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Heather Kirk