British tourist Jamie McDonald visited seven new wonders of the world in seven days and slept only 12 hours during the nearly 37,000km journey.
The seven new wonders of the world that Jamie visited included the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal (India), Petra (Jordan), Colosseum (Italy), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru) and Chichén Itzá (Mexico) in 6 days, 16 hours and 14 minutes, from March 6 to 12.
The Seven New Wonders of the World is a campaign to select new wonders of the world from 200 existing monuments, initiated by the Swiss-based New 7 Wonders Foundation in 2001. The vote was considered by many experts to be "the largest poll ever recorded", with people from all over the world eagerly participating. The results were announced in 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Jamie McDonald takes a souvenir photo in front of the Taj Mahal. Photo: Travelport
On May 16, Guinness World Records recognized Jamie as the person who "visited the seven wonders of the world in the fastest time". To achieve the certification, he had to meet the requirements: not use a helicopter to travel but use public transport, only take taxis within a radius of less than 50 km, and record his schedule via GPS.
Before the trip, Jamie asked ChatGPT how long it would take to see the seven new wonders. The answer was 21 days. Jamie ended up cutting the time by a third by taking 13 flights, 16 taxis, 9 buses, and 4 trains, as well as a toboggan ride (down the Great Wall) for the nearly 37,000 km trip. He slept only 12 hours and ate airplane food the entire way, except for a quick pizza in Rome before running to see the Colosseum.
The flights were all economy class, so Jamie slept in. "I secretly hoped it would be a fun vacation. But it was really a race against time," he said. With the exception of the Great Wall, Jamie spent less than an hour at the other six wonders. Still, he finds the challenge and speed of each trip and destination to be part of the fun. "After visiting each wonder, I feel more inspired to go to the next one," he said.
Jamie poses with his Guinness World Record certificate for his trip. Photo: Travelport
Jamie visited the Great Wall in March, when China had not yet fully opened its doors to international visitors. As a result, the tourist attraction was not crowded at the time. Jamie also came to China as a business traveler, not a tourist when applying for a visa. He stayed at a hotel near the Great Wall and watched the sunrise there. In India, Jamie visited Chandni Chowk in Delhi before going to Arga and visiting the Taj Mahal. It was only 3am, but the whole place he visited was bustling.
This is not the first time Jamie has taken on extreme challenges. Previously, he achieved a record of running 8,000 km across Canada. Jamie's trip this time aims to raise funds for the Superhero Foundation charity, which helps sick children. The foundation was established more than 10 years ago, and Jamie has so far raised more than 1 million pounds (more than 30 billion VND).
As a child, Jamie was frequently hospitalized for syringomyelia. He struggled with symptoms such as immunodeficiency, epilepsy, and the inability to move his legs. In 2012, when he returned to the hospital for treatment as a child, all his childhood memories came flooding back. Jamie wanted to do something to support children like him.
Then, instead of using the money for a house deposit, Jamie bought a bicycle and cycled from Bangkok, Thailand to Gloucester (where he was treated at the children's hospital) to raise money. Many people criticized Jamie's actions, calling them silly, but he persisted. "It was amazing. I dressed up in a superhero costume and traveled around the country, raising money for sick children," Jamie said.
Anh Minh (According to Forbes, SCMP )
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