Failatu Abdul-Razak had a burning ambition to become the world’s longest cooking marathoner. She spent more than nine days in the kitchen, whipping up delicious dishes for her hungry fans.
But her fiery passion was not enough to impress the Guinness World Records (GWR), who rejected her record-breaking attempt.
According to her team, Ms Abdul-Razak cooked non-stop for a whopping 227 hours in January, surpassing the previous record of 214 hours set by an Indian chef in 2018. She was hoping to put Ghana on the culinary map and inspire other aspiring chefs.
However, her hopes were dashed when GWR announced that her attempt “unfortunately fell short of meeting the stringent guidelines set forth by Guinness World Records”. They cited a violation of the rest break rules, which stipulate that the chef must take a 15-minute break every eight hours.
A GWR spokesperson praised Ms Abdul-Razak for her “tremendous efforts” but said that the rules were not followed. “We have strict criteria for all our record attempts, and we must ensure that they are adhered to for the validity and integrity of our records,” they said.
Ms Abdul-Razak’s attempt had sparked a frenzy of support across Ghana, where she became a national hero. Politicians, including Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, celebrities, and even the Ghanaian military rallied behind her throughout the cook-a-thon. She also received donations of food, equipment, and money from well-wishers.
Despite her disappointment, the chef expressed her gratitude to her supporters, saying that their “backing has been instrumental throughout this journey”.
She also vowed to try again in the future, saying that she was not giving up on her dream. “I have learned a lot from this experience, and I will come back stronger and better,” she said.