Albert Einstein once wrote that "reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one". The incredible exploits of Wim Hof (aka the Iceman) and Manjit Singh (aka the Ironman) suggest that perhaps we live far too literally, encased in our self-made glass boxes, framed by a self depreciating sense of what is possible in life. Hof and Singh share a philosophy that anyone can "move boundaries" in everyday life. The physical and mental achievements of the two beggars belief. In 2002, Hof, 47, swam under the polar ice without any supplementary oxygen for an incredible six minutes and 20 seconds. In January he ran a half-marathon above the polar circle in Finland barefoot. He is currently climbing Mount Everest in shorts! Singh, 57, recently managed to pull a 7.5 tonne aircraft four meters using just a rope attached to clamps attached to his ears. Previously he pulled a double-decker bus with 54 passengers for 55 meters using just one hand. He holds world records for squats in an hour (4288), step-ups in an hour (4235), fingertip push-ups in one minute (152) and parallel bar dips in a minute (124). Both are humble men of lean build who attribute their success to keeping fit, meditation, consciousness and explosive physical power. Reading about their lives should convince anyone that the old standard that we as human beings can do anything we put our minds to is a powerful possibility that can explode the confinements of "reality".
Labels: philosophy, sport
