Mangaluru: What began with a teenager wondering just how far her unusually flexible hands could move has now taken 15-year-old Raksha D into the Golden Book of World Records.A student of Sri Ramakunjeshwara PU College, Ramakunja, Raksha created the record by repeatedly bringing her elbows together in front of and behind her body while keeping her hands at her waist.The unusual movement continued for about 30 minutes, with judges estimating that she completed over 3,000 elbow touches. The exact number of repetitions is yet to be confirmed.There was no formal training behind the feat. It started with curiosity. “I just felt that my hands were very flexible and tried doing something. I later researched on the internet and tried a new movement,” she recalled. Her interest in record-setting began after she heard about a girl from Madikeri who had created a record through yoga. She told TOI that relatives, who knew about her flexibility, encouraged her to attempt something of her own.The experimentation soon turned into a record attempt. While studying in Class 10, Raksha secured her first recognition from the Karnataka Achievers Book of Records by completing 172 elbow touches in one minute. She was subsequently honoured with recognition from the International Super Talent Kid Award as well.The latest attempt pushed the same movement to an entirely different scale, from one minute to nearly half an hour. The first attempt, however, came at a cost. Trying to maintain a very high speed, Raksha was touching her elbows nearly three times every second. The strain resulted in injuries around her elbows and knees and blood clotting, leaving her needing almost a month to recover.This time, she took precautions and completed the attempt without any complications. She continues to practise hand exercises, particularly on Sunday mornings and during weekends and holidays.“This happened only because of all the support I received from everyone around me. I did not know that I had this kind of talent. I just continued practising after I realised I could do it,” she said. A PCMB student, Raksha is now looking ahead to a career as either a pilot or a doctor, with a particular fascination for aircrafts.
