Strongman aims for new world record

A Dubai-based professional strongman hopes to enter the Guinness Book of World Records by having three 2.75-tonne cars drive over him in Garhoud this week.

With ramps placed on each side of his body, Mark Crookes will have three cars drive directly over his chest in quick succession.

Having already unofficially completed the stunt at the last Dubai Shopping Festival, Crookes said he is more than ready to do it once more, this time with official adjudicators.

"It feels like a hard work out at the gym," he said. "It takes me about three days to recover from it, but in the end, it's worth it."

Crookes has already smashed the world record for pulling 16 trucks weighing 176.07 tonnes at Dubai Media City last April. He already holds the world record for pulling a Boeing 747-400 weighing 360 tonnes in 2000.

He holds an additional world record for being able to roll a car, a VW Golf, upside down and back onto its wheels in 31 seconds.

The BBC, in association with Harvard and Oxford universities, recently completed the filming of a documentary on Crookes' abilities.

Academic experts from the two institutions monitored the strain on Crookes' body, including his heart rate and blood pressure, during a series of truck pulls he did for the documentary.

The scientific data accumulated during the pulls were so unusual, the experts asked Crookes to repeat the pulls 13 times. This required the filming period to be extended from two days to eight days.

The 40-year-old is originally from Cape Town in South Africa. He first came to the UAE when he was invited to perform stunts for certain organisations. After extending his stay for DSF and Eid, he decided to stay.

"After spending time in the country, I fell in love with the place and couldn't leave, so I made Dubai my home."

Al Tayer Motors is sponsoring this week's event.

Facts