A long walk through the Arizona desert is always challenging, but what if you did it for 24 hours straight – oh, and you’re fully dressed in heavy firefighting gear that you can’t remove, have to walk 44 miles to break a world record, and you just passed the one-year anniversary of your knee replacement surgery?
That’s what Robert Verhelst (better known as Fireman Rob) is attempting on April 19 & 20 at Camelback Mountain to raise awareness for the mental health of first responders, and to inspire people to live their passion. His first attempt took place in 2020, when he completed only 34 of the 44 miles required to set a world record. Now, one year after receiving a new Smith+Nephew knee, and with a renewed spirit, Fireman Rob is ready to give it another shot and practice what he preaches about never giving up and facing life’s mental and physical obstacles head-on.
Fireman Rob is no stranger to tough situations:
- He is a veteran of the U.S. Airforce who did search and recovery after the September 11 attack at the World Trade Center.
- He has been a firefighter in Madison, Wisc. for 24 years.
- He recovered from severe combat-related PTSD and is now a mental health speaker and advocate.
- He’s completed 23 full Ironman 29 half Ironman triathlons doing the run portions in full firefighter gear, totaling 1,022 miles in his gear. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most Ironman 70.3 Triathlons in one year with 23.
- While raising three children of his own, he decided he wanted to reach sick kids and brighten their days. He founded the Fireman Rob Foundation and has delivered 9,000 Gund Teddy Bears to children in hospitals throughout the world.
Event details
April 18: Fireman Rob visits Phoenix Children’s Hospital (1919 E Thomas Rd. in Phoenix) to visit children and donate teddy bears.
April 19 Noon – April 20 Noon – World record attempt. JW Marriott Camelback Mountain (5402 E Lincoln Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85253) – Will start and end here, walking/running 24-hours straight.
We will be watching out for Fireman Rob's progress and cheering him on throughout this world record attempt, as he continues to highlight just how much is possible when you're able to live your Life Unlimited.