58-Year-Old Grandmother Breaks World Planking Record, Held Position for Over Four Hours

58-year-old grandmother of 12 DonnaJean Wilde has set the new Guinness world record for longest abdominal plank by a woman after holding the same position for just over four and a half hours.

As announced by Guinness World Records last month, the Canadian mother of five and grandmother of 12 held an abdominal plank position for four hours, 30 minutes and 11 seconds. She now holds the world record for longest plank ever held by a woman, beating the previous record holder by ten minutes. The retired former teacher held the position with her toes and forearms touching the ground.

"My elbows hurt pretty bad," said Wilde, who beat the world record at the high school she worked at as vice principal. "I was so worried about losing my form and I think that's why my quads hurt because I was just really tense." She said the last hour was "the most challenging" part, but she was able to overcome the challenge by "breathing, staying calm and not shaking." All 12 of her grandchildren attended the event, which she trained for by planking three hours every day.

"I realized that I could read and do things when I was planking and fell in love with it," she added, noting that she studied for a master's degree and would sometimes watch movies while training. She said she's been planking for at least ten years already and got into it after she broke her wrist and was unable to run or lift weights for a while. "Whatever it is that you like, if it's sports, or academics, or music, arts, whatever it is... the more you practice, the better you get," she said.

What's even more impressive about her setting the new world record, though, is that she did it while suffering from an inflamed spinal cord as a result of transverse myelitis. "That chronic pain and numbness that she deals with every day has helped her to be able to plank through the pain," he husband Randy said. "I think the model for someone whose done a world record is officially amazing, but she's been officially amazing her whole life."