Afua Asantewaa Owusu Aduonum, the Ghanaian women’s rights advocate, journalist and event organiser who captivated the nation with her singing marathon Guinness World Record attempt has ended her quest after 126 hours and 52 minutes.
While verification from Guinness World Record judges is pending, Asantewaa’s effort is believed to have significantly surpassed the existing record set by India’s Sunil Waghmare in 2012.
The marathon commenced at midnight on December 24, 2023, and concluded on the morning of December 29, 2023.
Addressing her supporters after receiving medical attention behind a screen onstage, Asantewaa shared that she had lost track of time during the five-day endeavour.
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It is finished!
Congratulations #afuaasantewaasingathon !
You have made all of us proud.🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭#AfuaAsantewaa #afuaasantewaasingaton pic.twitter.com/0IrmHYkw5L— The Accra Times (@theaccratimes) December 29, 2023
Expressing her hope that the achievement would inspire women and youth across the country, Asantewaa expressed gratitude for the support received from musicians, politicians, and security officials at the Akwaaba Village in Accra.
“On behalf of my husband, my family, my team, volunteers, media, Ghana Tourism Authority, I will like to say a big thank you to each and everyone who participated in this singathon attempt,” Asantewaa said.
“This was a mere dream that was visualised in just a period of five days, I say just because I don’t even remember how it started not to talk of how it ended”.
“We hope and believe that this will be an inspiration to all women and all youth or individuals to come out of your comfort zone and try new opportunities. There is a lot out there to do when you put your mind to it you will achieve it”.
Tonight, she will host an all-white thanksgiving event at 6 pm at the same venue.
Medical reasons for conclusion
Initially, Asantewaa’s Singathon was planned for December 24-27, 2023. However, she extended it to account for potential deductions in her time for breaks by Guinness World Record judges. Dr. Grace Buckman, who led Asantewaa’s medical team, commended her efforts and described how much the team had been surprised by her endurance.
Dr. Buckman initially planned for the sing-a-thon to conclude at noon today but ultimately advised an earlier stop due to fatigue and prioritizing Asantewaa’s health.
She stated, “However, there is only so far you can go as a person… She has done 126 hours and let’s give her a round of applause. She has done so well and we are all proud of her, she has put Ghana out there and made the music industry proud.
“However, we have gotten to the point where as a medical team, her health is our topmost priority and we need to make sure that she is fine. We would have loved for her to probably go till 12 midday but at this point as a medical team, we want to put a hold to it and protect Afua as much as we can, fatigue has set in and all that. From now, we would work on her to make sure she is fine and will bounce back again and address all of us”.