The tree chose me, Ariokot tells Guinness of hugging record

Ariokot, who got her 16-hour job done at the third attempt, is also the first record holder in this category.

KAMPALA | Patricia Ariokot has secured the bragging rights of a Guinness World Record holder after the international cataloguing and verification franchise ratified her feat for the longest time to hug a tree by an individual.

Ariokot, who got her 16-hour job done at the third attempt, is also the first record holder in this category.

"Faith Patricia Ariokot, 29, wrapped her arms around a tree trunk for 16 hours 6 seconds to become the first official holder of the record," the Guinness World Records (GWR) said on their official website on February 23.

"She attempted this challenge to encourage others to plant trees, and to highlight the need for humans to protect them."

The Nile Post has seen an email the franchise sent Ariokot to confirm her record.

'The tree chose me'

On December 8, 2023, Ariokot embarked on participating her way into the world record.

Preparation and all was done for the record attempt to take place and also be recorded.

In her maiden attempt, a camera glitch meant the team was unable to account for a small fraction of the time. This invalidated the entry.

Ariokot made her second attempt on December 29. Social media was piqued, with comments that ridiculed and those that supported her cause doing rounds.

"Again, one of the camera persons mistakenly deleted the footage," she said.

The Guinness World Record team communicated the need for the attempt to be recorded from the beginning to the end uninterrupted.

A valid submission cannot have missing time in the recording. In her specific attempt; it did not require taking a break.

"This record differs slightly from ‘longest marathon’ records, such as the longest cooking marathon, where challengers accumulate five minutes of rest time after each continuous hour of activity," GWR explained.

"Record attempts are considered to be ‘marathons’ only when they exceed 24 hours in length."

On January 16, Ariokot hugged her beloved tree again. Her second attempt had been widely publicised so this time round she chose to keep it low.

The environment activist told GWR in an interview that she attempted the challenge to encourage others to plant trees, and to highlight the need for humans to protect them.

“They [trees] are the greatest soldiers in the fight against climate change,” she said.

On selecting a tree to hug for this record attempt, she said “felt like picking a bridal dress”.

“The tree chose me, and it was like love at first sight,” she explained. “When I saw the tree, I knew it was the one I would go for.”

Ariokot had to pick from her meagre resources to finance the feat that has no monetary reward to it.

But she has no regret.

"The record shines an even brighter light on my initiatives, including planting trees and environmental conservation," she said.

She has walked into several offices and engaged with several prospects on how to be part of the environmental conversation. She get promises but nothing comes of it.

"I walked into a bank asking them to  be part of the world record attempt, but one of the officials asked me, 'how does our bank benefit from trees,'"? he says.

But now she is looking forward to getting more than promises.

Ariokot has been planting trees since she was 12 years old, with her father who also is a farmer and has served a greater part of Teso region with trees.

"Trees benefit us at the end of the day," she reminds.

She urged the people to change their mindset and stop thinking that the question of environmental conversation is a government or NGO affair alone.

"Many of our people not recognise the tremendous power they have to be agents of change in the environment," she said.

 

Inside her hug duel

“My feet for over 16 hours straight were killing me,” she told the Guinness World Records.

“The tree with its rough surface cut into my skin and caused a lot of pain to say the least, and yet I had to keep holding on.”

This was the third time within the span of a month that Faith attempted to set the record, as her camera failed to record much of her first attempt, and her second try was cut short due to a thunderstorm.

As early as one hour in, Faith considered quitting because she was discouraged by the previous two setbacks.

By the ninth hour, she admits she “broke down” and wanted to give up, but says she persevered after being consoled by the tree: “I believe trees really have feelings and can sense what we are going through. It gave me the comfort I needed to keep going.”

Faith now hopes that everyone who reads about her record, wherever they are in the world, will be inspired to go out and plant a tree.