Talk Sport Radio has been a Godsend these past few months.
And my ears pricked up that little bit more with the latest cricket Test match.
Between England and South Africa coming from my old stomping ground of Port Elizabeth.
Now I’m not putting myself on the same level as Shoaib Akhtar or Brett Lee.
The pace aces bowled over 100mph there in the World Cup.
It’s just that the less-vaunted PE in South Africa is a city I fell in love with last year… https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/homemyoffice/whats-new-pussycat/.
It got me thinking too about other destinations that have become tied in with world records.
Brian Lara, 400 not out, St John’s, Caribbean, 2004:
Any excuse to showcase the Caribbean I hear you say but there is a tale here about Lara and me.
My old university pal Jevan had taken me to Foreday Morning on my first visit to Barbados.
And introduced me to his old Trinidadian pal Brian.
He told me he was over for the cricket and I naively asked if he played.
I didn’t expect the greatest modern-day batsman would ever wear anything other than cricket whites or one-day burgundy!
Stefan Kraft, Vikerssundbakken, Norway:
Now there are some sports we all do and those that are just death wishes.
Me, the Tour de France, 2019: Yes, here I am atop the 6,939ft Col du Tourmalet, the Tour de France’s most used climb.
And I’m not even out of breath. No wonder I needed some magic muscle-soothing water.
Climbing mountains is in the genes for Scots… I give you King of the Mountains Robert Millar.
Me, white water rafting, Colorado:
The record for staying in the water tub long enough on the Poudre River… https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q7Z0dkvzUc&feature=youtu.be.
Of course British Columbian Hazel Amos puts me to shame as the oldest rafter in the world at 96.
And yes, it’s another from the Wild West, but hey, I was born to be a cowboy.
Samuel Groth, world’s fastest serve, Busan Open, 163.7mph:
No, nor me, but this is it… https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uKeL-W7xft0.
Of course my on serve after being coached by Judy Murray at The Campus, Quinto da Lago wasn’t chronicled.
That’ll be then.
Michael Austin, world’s longest drive: At 515 yards that’s some power.
Mike gripped it and ripped it at the Winterwood Golf Course in Las Vegas in 1974.
Blasting it 65 yards past the flag on the par-four 5th hole.
Me, I drunk it and sunk it… that’s my pitcher of beer at Topgolf in Las Vegas https://topgolf.com/us/las-vegas/.
On my Vegas trip a couple of years ago… Strip… the light fantastic.
While I also showed them how to do it in Quinto…
And hopefully I’ll be back to break my own record at the American Travel Fair www.ipw.com.
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