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Johannesburg - Serial record breaker Andre van Zijl, who has broken 43 different world records of the less common variety, is at it again as he seeks to cycle 6 700km on a spinning bike while sitting in a car.
Having bested records such as pumping petrol for 1 000 hours and talking on a phone non-stop for 50 hours, Van Zijl has been spinning for nearly two months in a car at the Irene Village Mall in Centurion, Tshwane.
He said he was on day 54, with six to go.
"I got into the vehicle on the 23rd of May and have been in the car 24/7," he said on the phone to Sapa.
"Sitting in a car is very different. We've basically raised R20 000 for the various charities that I support."
As he was being spoken to, Van Zijl said in a audibly weary voice he was busy spinning with one foot.
"I'm hoping to get the premier of Gauteng [David Makhura] to pull me out of the car," he said.
As of 18:00 on Tuesday evening, he had cycled 5 731 km, with another 969km to go.
Van Zijl has previously said that he had raised over R33m thus far in his 25 years of record breaking for disabled and orphaned children.
This record attempt, beyond raising money for charity, was in dedication to "two great people", being former Nelson Mandela and Van Zijl's mother, who were born on the same day and in the same year.
Van Zijl, an HIV-activist who has known his HIV-positive status for over 30 years, said he was happy to have been able to speak to people at the shopping mall where his car-come-spinning centre is stationed.
"The main thing is I have been able to address staff. That is my core mission to inform and motivate people," he said.
He described the car as being "freezing" at this time of year.
Like his previous record attempts, he is allowed a five-minute break every hour.
He says that sitting in a car can be "very boring", hence he has been able to read around 50 books since this latest record attempt began.
His favourite thus far has been, The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony.
