Painful result is I must fund and organise my own events. It is always an uphill climb. In addition to raising the funds to stage an event — to hire a venue if one cannot be obtained by favour, to provide equipment necessary in the practice period as well as the event itself — there is also the cost of administrating any record attempt. An official record must be made of the event and sent along with any supporting materials to be ratified. This is a cheaper method than having an official adjudicator attending in person, as their presence attracts a hefty fee for travel and accommodations expenses, etc. Really it is very expensive and time-consuming process which must be achieved around the demands of the daily life.
Many changes were arriving in my life during the two years between the last record and this day. Firstly I had missed my regular income during recovery period and it took many months to replenish my savings to their former level. I took on more responsibility at the newspaper, adding the culture beat to my sports coverage and freelancing for the Hindustan Times as well. Working night and day to recover lost earnings. Then God showed his kindness by presenting me with a new opportunity in the shape of no less a man than the managing director of Konkan Railway.
He had heard of my record feats from Rajesh Battacharjee, who at this time knew everybody of pull in my city and beyond. Being the first and only multiple World Record holder in Mumbai and state of Maharashtra it attracted him as he then called me up and offered me the job of technical director of fitness on contract basis to train their employees in martial arts, yoga and fitness. This was a plum role as Konkan Railway is very important project for my country, an 800km coastal rail system linking Mumbai to Mangalore, completed with great speed due to skills, courage and team spirit of best Indian engineers and fittingly redeemed in the fiftieth year of Independence.
However such a monumental development attracted many unfortunate problems. The innovation and beauty of the system and its connection to major cities made it a target for terrorist threat and liquor smugglers from Goa and adjoining area. Thus a need for professionals of the highest order to keep security of the line, ensure passengers' safety, keep a tab on train ticket examiners and antisocial elements on train duty.
‘It will be my honour to take the job,’ I conveyed to the managing director. ‘I will whip your men into tip-top shape for the national interest.’
First batch of trainees lined up one week later in stockyard of Thane train station and very keen to be put through their paces. Many different skill levels but united in their desire to serve their country with life-giving dedication. What a proud moment for me to be overlooking their meeting with destiny. In following months and years I would take weekly sessions here and at various stations between Mumbai and Mangalore such as Goa, Karwar, Ratnagiri, Chiplun, under bright sun and pouring rain, listening with joy to the combined sound of one hundred-plus men honing the techniques which would protect them and make the railway a beautiful experience for every citizen. It was also here that I hit upon the idea of pulling a locomotive with my hair but this proved to be impossible despite many full-blooded attempts.
I was responsible for training over one thousand employees in martial arts from 2002 to 2008, till my last date of job. Out of these, twelve were given black belts after five years of vigorous training. They were inducted in a newly constituted wing in Konkan Railway on the lines of national security guards who provide security to Prime Minister, President and other VVIPs in India. Konkan Railway was immensely benefited from their service as honest officers. It fills me with tremendous feeling of satisfaction when I introspect on the role I played in keeping my area of the country free from assassins and other bandits.
During this period Rajesh Battacharjee was working tirelessly to publicise my name to all corners of my city. With help of Vijay Five he arranged interviews with Mumbai Mirror, Twin City Times and my prestigious employers at Times of India, covering my meteoric rise from unknown status to multiple World Record holder. All this hard work paid off when the invitation arrived from Australian-based AXN channel, who are the world’s finest extreme sports specialist, to take part in unique upcoming event.
In fact the conditions were unusual as it was mass event with 7,500 fitness freaks from all over the world all taking part at the same time but in different locations globally. Competitive and entertainment element across many different disciplines for enjoyment of the worldwide audience, with only one dozen events titled to be World Record attempts. Mumbai segment to be held at the Grant Medical Hall on Marine Drive, a venue with great history, where many fine scholars have studied and a large number of weddings are held for the top members of Mumbai society. The scale of the opportunity could not be underestimated and the need to make up for lost time was keenly felt. Boldness came calling and I decided to go for two records on same occasion.
In keeping with the extreme nature of my speciality I chose two records of particular challenge. Both had remained unbroken for many years. The backhand push-up is an unpopular technique because it is very difficult to perform and the possibility of sustaining injury is very high due to the fragility of the area in question when put under stress. It is not usual to bear the full weight of the body on the wrists, and I broke the wrist of my left hand a fortnight prior to the event in the process of preparation (in fact I am yet to recover from the injury since 2001 as the bone has come out from its original place, but this does not cause me any undue impediment to daily functions). The Guinness people were very accommodating to my unfortunate setback and gave me special permission to use a wristband for the event — the question of my failing to go through with the attempt did not emerge even for one moment, and any pain I felt from the affected area in the build-up became extra fuel to spur me on to a success.
The grand venue was a full house and a special stage was erected for the event. The television cameras all around plus large contingent of local and national press to capture the drama. Students, friends and colleagues squeezed into the hall and swelling the grounds outside for my first test under spotlight of television broadcast. As this was mass event under global banner an AXN representative was on hand to adjudicate and announce my success in timely manner. Evidence would be submitted to Guinness for ratification after the filming. ‘One hundred and thirty-three! New world record, Bibhuti Bhushan Nayak of Navi Mumbai!’ This was fine as I had shattered the previous record of only one hundred and sixteen. My fellow fitness freaks interrupted their own preparations to greet the announcement with generous applause. This was an inspiring moment which gave me an extra boost to press on to my next attempt.
The record-breaking life is a solitary existence and the chance to mingle with like-minded fanatics is very uncommon: it is in triumphant times such as this that our connection is felt most strongly, and we may use the positive energy we share to stretch higher towards our individual goals. I am firm believer that the goodwill of others when blended with the desire of the almighty makes the most potent mix. When a person drinks from this source he truly becomes unbreakable. I am the living proof of this.