East End strongman tops chin-up world record, raises more than $15K for Parkinson’s fight

David Brush had one number in mind when he grabbed the bar Saturday afternoon: 10,001.

Nearly 24 hours later, after fighting through wrist, shoulder and biceps pain and at one point losing the ability to fully close his hand, he got there.

Mr. Brush topped 10,000 chin-ups in about 23 hours and 34 minutes, surpassing the current Guinness World Records-listed mark of 7,479 while raising more than $15,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

His record attempt still must be reviewed and certified by Guinness.

Mr. Brush began at noon Saturday, Aug. 29, and passed the listed record early Sunday morning. But he kept going, determined to reach the goal he had set for himself a year earlier.

The attempt was four years in the making.

In 2022, Mr. Brush completed 6,757 chin-ups in 24 hours, surpassing the previous record of 5,340. But his time at the top was short-lived. Graham Morgan of the United Kingdom had been chasing the same record and soon surpassed Mr. Brush with more than 7,000.

Mr. Brush still received his Guinness plaque, but he knew he wanted another shot.

In August 2025, he wrote a message on the back of that plaque: August 2026. 10,001.

He then spent eight months preparing, completing more than 100,000 chin-ups in training.

The effort was about more than getting his name back in the record book.

Mr. Brush’s grandfather suffered from Parkinson’s disease before his death, and Mr. Brush has used his chin-up challenges to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation and its work toward better treatments and a cure.

The physical toll became increasingly evident as the hours passed.

Mr. Brush entered the attempt with an injured wrist and eventually developed pain in his shoulder and biceps. At around 6,600 chin-ups, he said he could no longer completely close his hand around the bar.

Still, he continued.

By early Sunday, Mr. Brush had passed Mr. Morgan’s listed Guinness mark of 7,479. Mr. Morgan himself was watching the livestream and offered congratulations.

“Congratulations,” Mr. Morgan wrote, calling himself the now ex-Guinness World Record holder and saying it was time to “pass the baton.”

Passing the record, however, did not make the remaining hours any easier.

Mr. Brush said the mental challenge became even greater after he moved into record territory. The goal was no longer simply to reclaim the mark. He wanted the number he had written on the back of his plaque a year earlier.

The attempt required witnesses, continuous video and detailed paperwork that will be submitted to Guinness for review.

By the time Mr. Brush finally stopped shortly after 11:30 a.m. Sunday, the counter read 10,001.

He had also raised more than $15,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

For Mr. Brush, that remained the point of it all.

“Fighting Parkinson’s,” he said. “That’s the only reason I got into chin-ups in the first place.”