Abia State-born Esochaghi Chinemeremma is the current Guinness Record Holder of ‘The Longest Duration Spinning a Plate on the Finger’ with a record time of two hours, 14 seconds. In this interview with Sunday Ehigiator, the 300-level student of Dentistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, revealed that breaking the feat of Indian Himanshu Gupta’s 2016 record time of one hour, 10 minutes and 39 seconds, earned him global recognition for a hobby he started at age 11
How did you come about this talent?
My talent is spinning a plate or any flat object on the finger as you know. I discovered my ability in my JSS 1 when I was 11years. I saw some of my classmates spinning textbooks and plates and I got interested in learning how to spin.
I then got a flat light board and started practicing with it until I became good at spinning. And then I started spinning other flat
objects. I have been spinning for nine years now, dating from 2011 when I was
in JSS 1, till date.
What does it mean to be a Guinness Record Holder?
Right from when I was small, I used to watch Guinness World Records programs on television. Oftentimes in secondary school we discussed other people’s record achievements around the world. I even read a book then that contained some record achievements of people. That’s how I got to know about it. Since then, I started dreaming of being on it, and I ensured to build myself towards that goal and today, I am so happy to be holding this record now.
Tell us about the record?
The record is ‘The Longest Duration Spinning a Plate on the Finger’ which is two hours, 14seconds. It was previously held by an Indian man, Himanshu Gupta, for the duration of one hour, 10minutes and 39seconds which he achieved in December, 2016.
I am currently the holder and will be holding this record title as long as there won’t be anybody around the world that will beat the record.
After this, what next should Nigerians expect from you?
Well, having become a Guinness World Record holder, which has added a very significant value to my profile both locally and internationally,
my ambition is to feature in big platforms both locally and internationally as a brand through organisations and companies in order to impact people positively around the world.
Also, the record attempt took place at Enugu Sports Club and after gaining the title, I was automatically inducted as a member of the club by the Chairman, Hon. Onyeka Onwe, and he has been of immense help to my career growth since then.
How has your family supported you through this great achievement?
My family has always supported me both by encouragement and financially. Because while trying to break the record then, there were financial expenses that were needed and they were all provided by my parents, and Uncle, Mr. Adimchi Promise. who is now late.
Do you see yourself defending your records anytime soon?
For now, I don’t think I will be defending my record anything soon unless the record title is taken from me by someone else and I wish to recover it back.
Being a medical student, how are you able to manage the stress with coursework?
I have been able to manage my record achievement with my academics very well based on the time that I allocated for them. I can remember when I was preparing for the record attempt back then in 2018 when I was in my first year in school.
I actually practiced for one year before attempting to break the record and eventually won it as a first timer. While practicing, after my school activities in the day, during the evening or night period I would use two hours to practice the spinning and it wasn’t a daily routine.
In 2019 when I was ready to break the record, I waited until I have finished my second semester exams so that I will use the little holiday period to perform the record attempt.
Who are your role models?
As regards to my talent, I actually don’t have any at the moment but I have a lot of people I look up to in life generally, but most are my close relations, friends, and lecturers in my profession.
How do you unwind?
I hang out with friends once in a while. I love swimming and also love listening to news.
How many plates have you broken before breaking records?
You know, because I have been spinning books before moving to plates, I actually didn’t break many plates, just one. I was practicing in my room in UNN hostel, a guy from another room interrupted the spinning with his hand and the plate fell to the ground and broke. Just that once and it hasn’t happened again. But of course, while I was training with books it fell countless times.
What is your life mantra?
If you can dream it, you can own it.
