Congratulatory handshakes were in order once Michael McCastle returned to work at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station Monday.
Just as long as the grip wasn’t too firm or the shake too vigorous.
McCastle was still feeling the effects of an unworldly accomplishment Monday as he arrived for his job at Ault Field as an air traffic controller.
EARLY SUNDAY, McCastle had just finished completing 5,804 pullups in just under 22-1/2 hours, which beat the Guinness world record for pullups in a 24-hour period.
McCastle said his handshake Monday wasn’t quite up to par.
“My body is pretty angry at me,” he said, referring to the soreness and tightness in his wrists and forearms.
“My grip is not something I prefer.”
But at least this time he had a grip, and was able to recuperate in the comfort of his own home in Oak Harbor.
Neither was the case last year when McCastle’s first attempt to beat the pull-up record landed him in the hospital for three days.
While completing 3,202 pullups, he tore muscles in his forearm and bicep and developed a condition called rhabdomyolysis, which breaks down muscle fibers, causing a release of myoglobin in the bloodstream that can damage kidneys.
THE PERSONAL sacrifice, however, was for a cause that he believed in — he raised more than $10,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project — and the failure to reach his goal only strengthened his resolve.
“I knew immediately that I would do this again and that I would beat it,” McCastle said.
Such is the mindset of the 28-year-old sailor and personal trainer, who is on a mission to raise awareness and money for injured soldiers as well as provide inspiration for anyone who faces seemingly impossible challenges in their lives.
McCastle decided that he’d not only set out to beat a record that had since grown to 5,801 pullups, he would do so with a 30-pound pack strapped to him, which represented the burden of the wounded warrior.
“This was important for me,” McCastle said. “This event beat me before. It was important to prove to myself that I can come back from defeat and failure. Not only would I come back, I would come back stronger.”
“That’s why I added the weight.”
MCCASTLE SAID he wanted to show that anyone who experiences personal defeat can come back stronger and overcome their challenges.
He trained harder in the months leading up to the second record attempt at North End Fitness Center on Goldie Street over the weekend. This time, he paced himself differently and used tape on his hands to help reduce blisters.
He started at 6:45 a.m. Saturday morning and didn’t stop until shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday, finishing three pullups ahead of the Guinness world record set in May by John Bocek in Arlington, Va.
To validate the record, he will be sending an application to Guinness that includes witness statements, video and a long list of other requirements.
McCastle said that up to 30 people stopped by to watch him chase the record and offer encouragement. This time, he raised $150 for Operation Enduring Warrior, a veteran-operated nonprofit that assists wounded service members.
McCastle’s friends and co-workers have seen this sort of determination and drive out of him on more than one occasion.
IN DECEMBER, McCastle completed a world-record 13-mile, 250-mile tire flip to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.
In May, he climbed a 20-foot rope for a total of 29,029 feet — the height of Mount Everest — to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. McCastle’s father died after battling the disease.
“Mike lives for that,” said Joshua Sawyer, a friend and co-worker who is the tower chief at NAS Whidbey. “He’s willing to take the pain for others. He’s ready to take that extra step.”
THE FEATS that McCastle attempts are performed under the umbrella of the “Twelve Labors Project” that he created. The project is a series of enormous challenges inspired by Hercules in Greek mythology
“It is the personification of conquering our inner demons and anything preventing us from achieving everything we are capable of being,” McCastle says on his website. “It’s about giving back, standing for something greater than ourselves and challenging our physical and mental limits on the journey of discovering our life’s purpose.”
McCastle, who aspires to be a Navy SEAL, said he is considering a number of challenges for next summer but is superstitious about revealing them too early.
He is ruling out pullups.
“There’s no benefit to my body doing that many pullups,” said McCastle, who’s 6-foot-1, 205 pounds and figures he can do about 40 pullups without taking a break from the bar. “It’s not enhancing my fitness. It’s breaking me down. No one should do this.”
WHILE MCCASTLE said he was haunted by missing his goal last year, he wasn’t about to let it remain a barrier in his mind.
That’s why he was determined to try again despite the torment his body went through the first time. He said one arm literally felt like it was on fire during his first attempt.
“Ironically, while breaking down my body, it’s building up my mind,” McCastle said.
“To me, it’s more important to be more mentally strong than physically strong.”