Jump On It!
Why I decided to go for the Guinness World Record for highest box jump.
By: Evan Ungar
I was a skinny and weak kid; I loved being active and playing sports, but it seemed to always lead to injury for me. I played soccer, I broke my ankle. I played roller hockey, I broke my other ankle. I took up dirt biking, I broke my wrist. In high school, without even playing sports, I broke my ankle again. Within a week of getting my cast off, I was running to the car, stepped awkwardly, and broke the other foot. It was at this point, that I decided I didn’t want to be so breakable. I made the commitment to make some changes to my body. I hit the gym, started working out and haven’t looked back since!
Over the years, I’ve learned about different techniques and developed a strategic approach to strength training. As I progressed, I gained pound after pound of lean tissue, increased my bone density and my strength.
While studying Marketing in college, I still loved being in the gym, so much so that I got a job at the college gym. I started giving my friends advice and helping them with their workout routines. With a little push from one of my friends, I went on to earn my personal training certification and began building a client list; training firefighters, the dean of my college, staff and friends.
I began working at One Health Clubs almost 5 years ago and continued to expand my knowledge for health and fitness. One day, while joking around with a colleague (a high-level volleyball player), he was bragging that he had an amazing jump and no one could beat him. My competitive nature kicked in and before I knew it, we had entered into a friendly jumping competition.
We began with simple box jumps and it soon escalated much higher, as we stacked weighted bumper plates on top of each other, to add more and more height. I ended up winning the jumping battle with an end height of 52-inches. This is when I realized how high I could really jump. Kind of amazed, we researched to see how high other people could jump and found that the Guinness World Record was roughly 8 inches away! It was at that moment, that I decided I was going to break the record.
For the last year, I have been trying different styles of training and focusing on my leg strength. In recent months, I have been training my legs two times per week; I’ve basically been sore all the time.
There have been setbacks along the way, but I have managed to take 2 steps forward for every step back. My jumps improved and continued to get higher. At my best, I had completed a 63.5 inch box jump which beat the previous record by 3.7 inches.
I made the decision to go for the official Guinness World Record and on Friday May 13th, in front of my friends, family and co-workers, I attempted to break the record. I jumped 63.5 inches on this day; I did it! I had broken the previous record of 59.8 inches.
In the coming year I plan on beating my own record and going for 65 inches at least.
Moral of the story is pick your goal, make a plan, decide when you want it by and GO FOR IT. I want to be known for helping people change their mind from I THINK I can to I’M GOING to. – Evan Ungar #MakeTheDecision
On June 21st, 2016 Evan was OFFICIALLY awarded the title of Guinness World Record holder for Standing Box Jump, making him OFFICIALLY AMAZING.
Click here to see Evan’s World Record Jump.
Since this date Evan continues to amaze us by jumping: one-legged, backwards, from inside the pool to outside, on cars, and on insauga LIVE TV in Mississauga Celebration Square. He has also been featured twice now on FOX Sports, as well as @SuperAthletes and @getbsf.
Evan isn’t resting on his success and continues to take on new heights. On July 25th, 2016 he successfully jumped onto a 68.5′ tall Honda Odyssey, which is 5 inches higher than his Guinness World Record! Watch the link here
CHECK OUT some of Evan’s amazing jumps on our Facebook page and be sure to LIKE and FOLLOW Evan’s page and stay up to date with upcoming television appearances, new crazy jumps, updates on his upcoming book, public speaking engagements, and more!
www.facebook.com/makethedecision