A man set foot on all Seven Wonders of the World in seven days—here's how he did it
A man set a new world record for the fastest time to visit all Seven Wonders of the World, finishing the challenge in less than a week.
The Guinness World Records put the spotlight on Jamie McDonald, also known as “Adventureman,” for achieving his goal in just six days and 16 hours.
As shared by his sponsor Travelport, he traveled the world from March 6 to 12—kicking it off in China to visit the famous Great Wall, then to India’s Taj Mahal, and then to his third stop in the ancient city of Petra in Jordan.
On the fourth day, he landed in Rome, Italy to visit the Colosseum, where he was finally able to eat non-plane food during his travels.
Down to the second to the last day, Jamie failed to catch his flight going to the fifth wonder, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro after going to the wrong terminal and being stuck in traffic.
He was able to reach the fifth spot despite the limited time, and then went on to explore Peru’s Machu Picchu.
“When you move across the world that quickly, you suddenly realize how small this world really is,” he said.
He finally reached the last wonder—Chichen Itza in Mexico—with only a few hours left.
Watch his interesting journey below:
All in all, Jamie reached the Seven Wonders in just six days and 16 hours using public transportation, marking the fastest record ever. He went on board 13 flights and 29 ground trips in less than a week. “I felt like I’ve slept for 12 hours in the space of seven days,” he said.
With his feat, Jamie was able to raise funds for his charity, Superhero Foundation. Driven by his personal experience as a child when he was diagnosed with a rare spinal condition called syringomyelia, he was warned that he might lose his ability to walk.
Overcoming that challenge, he made it his life-long mission to “give back to sick kids around the world.”
For anyone who wants to try to set a new record for the same category, the Guinness World Records requires challengers to be at least 16 years old.
Before trying one's luck at a new record, one must conform to the following rules set to acknowledge their attempt:
- Use only scheduled public transportation, with licensed taxi rides unable to exceed 50 kilometers;
- Keep a logbook with clearly indexed evidence (receipts, tickets, etc.) supporting each step;
- Obtain receipts and/or tickets everywhere available;
- Use accurate professional equipment (i.e. GPS tracking equipment);
- Take videos and photos showing the applicant, the location, and the date at each site visited;
- Get a written or recorded statement from an official member of staff, local dignitary and/or police officer at each site; and
- Understand that the "clock" starts the moment the challenger leaves the first wonder site, and it does not stop for any reason until the challenger sets foot in the final site.