Differently-abled US athlete creates Guinness World Record for fastest 20m walk on hands

A specially-abled American athlete has set a new world record for the fastest 20-meter walk using his hands. Twenty-three-year-old Zion Clark created a Guinness World Record by achieving the feat in just 4.78 seconds, shattering previous records. In February this year, Clark broke the record in his high school gym at Massillon in Ohio. However, his achievement was recently recognised on the official website of Guinness World Records. Meanwhile, the athlete also thanked his coach Butch Reynolds, a Guinness World Records holder and Olympic Gold Medallist, as well as his friends and family, for keeping him motivated and assisting him in achieving the feat. "What a great feeling to be a Guinness World Record Holder! Especially considering every school K-12 keeps a copy of this book. My goal in life is to inspire kids to be whatever they want to be in life, don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do! [sic]," he wrote on Instagram while sharing the video of his record-breaking walk.  

As a motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur, Clark has already inspired many people before this. He has now entered the hall of fame as a result of this incredible achievement, which is a monument to his determination and courage. According to the US National Library of Medicine, Clark was born without legs and suffers from caudal regression syndrome, a rare medical disorder characterised by aberrant development of the lower half of the body, with the bones of the spine missing. His journey to success was long and winding with many ups and downs along the way. However, he continued to push himself beyond his limits in order to achieve his objectives, according to Guinness World Records. 

Watch the video here:

Clark achieved the feat overcoming tremendous obstacles

It is worth mentioning that Clark was placed for adoption shortly after birth and spent the next 16 years of his life moving through the foster care system in the hopes of finding a permanent family. During this time, he was subjected to bullying, mental abuse, and malnutrition in the homes where he was sent. However, despite these tremendous obstacles, he maintained a positive attitude. As luck would have it, he was later adopted by Kimberli Hawkins, a loving mother who had always dreamt of having a son. According to GWR, the two have an amazing bond, with Clark describing his adoption as the nicest thing that has ever happened to him.

Image: Instagram/@big_z_2020