World Record Attempt by MxCC Staff Member on December 5

Stationary cycling reaches a whole new level at Middlesex Community College as Trenton Wright, MxCC’s coordinator of institutional advancement, attempts to set a new world record for “Farthest Distance on a Static Cycle.”  The spinning, which begins at 9 a.m. on Friday, December 5, on the second floor of Chapman Hall, will also be a fundraiser for the MxCC Foundation which supports academics and student achievement at the College.  To be successful, Wright must cycle non-stop until 3 p.m.  The event, which is open to the public, will be photographed, videotaped, and witnessed for verification by the official Guinness World Record organization and the World Record Academy.  Results from the World Record Academy will be several days, while results from Guinness will be approximately 12 weeks.

Wright has been training for this record-setting event since August working out on a prop spin bike at home, at the Middletown Y and at Super Fitness in his hometown of North Windham, Conn.  As a former Division III cross-country and track athlete at Eastern Connecticut State University, he is familiar with the discipline and extreme dedication a physical endeavor such as this requires.  “It won’t be pretty and it won’t be easy,” he said.  “But world records seldom are.”

As this will be Wright’s second attempt to set a world record for stationary cycling, he has titled the effort “Unfinished Business.” Last year he tried to set the 12-hour world record, cycling for 187 miles.  Although unsuccessful at setting the record, he raised more than $2,800 for the MxCC Foundation. He hopes to outdo both performances this year – and remove one item from his personal bucket list.

Pledges or donations (cash or check) to the MxCC Foundation can be made the day of the cycling event, or sent by mail to: MxCC Foundation, 100 Training Hill Road, Middletown, CT 06457.  Online donations using a credit card, PayPal account, or checking account can be made by clicking on the “PayPal Donate Now” button at www.mxcc.edu/donate (add “Spin-A-Thon” in the special instructions box).  An ALS ice bucket challenge will immediately follow the event.

The Guinness World Records (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/) is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement, first created as a result of the inquisitiveness of Sir Hugh Beaver, chairman of the Guinness Brewery in Ireland. The annual Guinness World Records book, which was first published in August 1955 is the best-selling copyrighted title of all time. Applying and attempting a record is free and, although the company receives more than 1,000 applications a week, fewer than 5% ever become a Guinness World Records title.

The World Record Academy (http://www.worldrecordacademy.com), based in Miami, Fla., is the leading international organization which certifies world records, based on unlimited categories. The group has the world's largest online database (text, photos and videos) of more than 2,300 world records, along with the largest off-line database of more than 250,000 world records.