Earlier this week, Facebook user Arslan Mehdi uploaded a video of a young man from Lahore sitting on a footpath, asking for help from politicians because he was a Guinness World Record holder who couldn’t afford college. The Facebook post has gained a lot of people’s attention, having been shared over 4000 times.

Farhan Ayub, a 24 year old from Lahore, is a Guinness World Record holder.

He performed 38 kip-ups in one minute at the Punjab Youth Festival on February 26, 2014; his first time and eventually landed the award after taking away the 22 kip-ups record from an Englishman. He landed another award this year on March 15, 2017. Sounds pretty amazing? Right? However, Farhan’s journey has been nothing but treacherous and here’s a glimpse into it.

Farhan completed his intermediate some five years back from Multan. Since then, he has been trying to secure admission in a good university in Lahore but hasn’t been able to do so on account of lack of funds

“I have been working two jobs to help my brother study. He just finished his MBA while I am still looking for some means to fund my education. The first time I made a record, I was awarded 1 lakh rupees and was given some press coverage too. However, the second time was all mine. I saved money from so many little jobs and paid Guinness World Record on my own. I was able to secure another record but I wasn’t given any media coverage, the government didn’t care and today, I am struggling to pursue my education at UCP,” Farhan shared in a conversation with MangoBaaz.

Farhan goes to sit outside the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, almost everyday, from morning till 5pm but he says he has been unable to gather any attention from any politicians

“I am looking to break more world records in seven other categories but I have no money to enter my name in the race. I just demand two things from the government; to help me financially to enter the records I am looking to break and to help me fund my education at UCP,” exclaimed Farhan.

Farhan says he doesn’t want help from the public, at large, he specifically wants politicians to help fund his education

“I am not sitting here to bother the public. I don’t want anything from them. I just want the politicians to take my situation into account and help me out a little bit with my education and the records I aspire to break,” Farhan says.