More facts have emerged about Olawunmi Bayode Treasure, the latest Guinness world record holder in Marathon Reading who broke the 113, 15 minutes marathon reading record set in 2008 by Deepak Shama Bajagain from Nepal. He read aloud for 113 hours 15 minutes between September 16th – 24th, 2008.
Bayode broke the 10-year record by reading for a total of 120 hours from 1:30pm on Monday February 26th to 3:30pm on Saturday 3rd March, 2018.
According to Mrs Morounkeji Olawunmi, the visibly elated mother of the world champion, who spoke to Ikorodu Oga Radio in Yoruba, ‘Bayode has always been passionate about education. At age four, whenever his seniors were going to school, he will always run after them and I would tell him he was too young to start school then, but he will cry’ said Mrs Olawunmi.
‘When he eventually started school, he was so committed to his academics. Apart from being a bit stubborn as a young boy, he is always dedicated to his academics. He did not attend any private school because we could not afford it. I raised him and his other siblings by selling ‘Fufu’, she stated.
The mother who could not hide her joy sang praises to God in Yoruba while advising mothers to be patient and endure hardships in their effort to raise their children .
She also seized the opportunity to appreciate the Lagos state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, Hon Babajimi Benson, Management of GTBank and everyone that supported Bayode to achieve the feat.