Being a “topnotcher” does not always have to relate to academics, rather, one can be a “topnotcher” in other aspects of life. Take the case of Michelle Butiu, an alumna from the College of Physical Therapy of Our Lady of Fatima University, who set a Guiness World Record as the fastest female who has crossed Qatar on foot.
A fitness trainer by profession, Qatar-based Butiu accomplished her global record on 20 October 2022 when she crossed Qatar in 1 day, 6 hours, 23 minutes, and 42 seconds, with Guiness certifying the world record soon after extensive validation of evidences.
In an interview with the Filipino Times, Butiu narrated that she had to train for a year with the help of a mentor to prepare for the actual feat. “First thing I did as a player for this event is to set my mental toughness. I had to train my mind to be calm and always be ready to accept failure. Secondly, I had to focus on improving my body condition wherein I needed to have a proper discipline in my sleep. I also had to consider the nutrients I needed to intake to adapt my body on this kind of endurance training,” Butiu said.
And the mind-strengthening did pay off when Butiu failed to cross Qatar during her first attempt in March 2023. She could have hung up the towel right there and then but, no. She shared, “But instead of embracing the sadness, I stood up and continued my training and then after a month I decided to do it again, and the result was amazing with the help of my supportive teammates.” In April, Butiu conquered the 190 kilometer challenge of Qatar, putting one foot in front of the other— unstoppable and unbreakable.
Butiu then submitted her evidences such as videos and her GPS watch. In fact, Guiness required a two-minute video documentation for every hour spent, along with witnesses as part of the videos. Guiness sent the certification of her world record a few days after.
Dedicating her feat to the Filipino people and to women all over the world who dream big, she intimated, “To all Filipinos who want to do such an extraordinary record, always put in your mind that you need to be patient on the goal you want to achieve. Always find people you can trust to make these things possible. Don’t be afraid to experience failure, because in every failure there is always happiness, success, and lastly victory!”
Michelle Butiu, you are a Guiness record-holder and, in OLFU’s book, a Topnotcher in the game called Life. Congratulations!
