Mohammed Al Sheikh’s flexible spine has left many wondering if the 13-year-old boy has any bones in his body at all.
Known as “Spider Boy,” the Palestinian from Gaza ran his legs around his seemingly elastic body 38 times in a minute during his record attempt in Amman, Jordan.
Al Sheikh was born with an exceptionally flexible spine in conflict-ridden Gaza, and has been a competing athlete for five years now. His final performance on the reality television show Arabs Got Talent in 2015 won 14 million votes. His body-bending act, however, is not new to the people from his region.
Al Sheikh hopes to leave the Gaza strip, where he practises his skills every day, to showcase his talent around the world.
His inspiration comes from the previous record holder for this title, Leilani Franco, as well as Russian contortionist and fellow record-holder Zlata. Franco, a professional contortionist from the UK, had completed 29 revolutions and broken her former record of 25.
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