Dubai amputee athlete breaks Guinness World Record for longest wall sit

Dareen Barbar's achievement also marks the launch of the Impairment Records Initiative by the organisation

Lebanese athlete Dareen Barbar broke the Guinness World Record for the longest Samson's chair / static wall sit (female), with a 2:08:24 minute sit. Courtesy Guinness World Record

A Lebanese athlete has broken the Guinness World Record for the longest Samson's chair/static wall sit by a female.

Dareen Barbar, who lost her leg at the age of 15, won the title after completing a wall sit for two minutes and 8.24 seconds.

The athlete, who lives in Dubai, had an above-knee left-leg amputation after suffering bone cancer.

The record makes Barbar the first female amputee to hold a Guinness World Record in the Middle East.

“I lost my left leg in June 1993 at the age of 15 due to bone cancer, and today, in the same month after 28 years, I am back to win the battle,” said Barbar.

“My story has inspired many throughout the years, and today I make history hoping to inspire millions around the world. I thank Guinness World Records for considering the new classifications for people with determination, and I am proud to be part of a campaign that will change the lives of millions across the globe.”

The record also marked the launch of the Guinness World Records Impairment Records Initiative, which introduced an initial 23 classification categories for physical, intellectual, and visual impairments.

Adam Brown, director of record services at Guinness World Records, said: "It's a privilege to launch our Impairment Records Initiative today, a project which will make GWR instantly more relevant and accessible to millions of people around the world.

“The project has been a number of years in the making, so to see it go live with the announcement of three fantastic new record-holders is incredibly humbling.

"We really hope that in launching this project and crowning new record holders, we will encourage many more people with physical, intellectual or visual impairments to get in touch and attempt a Guinness World Records title in the future.”