Over 3,000 push-ups, squats by ‘Master of Pain’ for hospital aid

‘OBSESSED’ WITH PHYSICAL FITNESS. Ilonggo professional stuntman Gerard Jessie “Jess” Caigoy is in the middle of his reps, alternating hand release push-ups and air squats for four hours, during an endurance stunt at Robinsons Place Pavia on Saturday, Oct. 20. IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN

PAVIA, Iloilo – The “Master of Pain” alternated hand release push-ups and air squats repeatedly for four hours in a mall in this municipality on Saturday in an attempt to set a new world record.

But the event that saw professional stuntman Jess Caigoy wincing through multiple reps – taking only a few seconds to drink water or change clothes – was also aimed at raising funds for the Aleosan District Hospital in Alimodian town.

Between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., the 57-year-old Caigoy of the municipality of Leon executed 1,630 hand release push-ups and 1,650 air squats on a small makeshift stage at Robinsons Place Pavia.

Ma-execute ako sang 10 repetitions nga hand release push-up tapos matindog ako para sa 10 repetitions sang air squat. Liwat-liwaton ko ina for four hours,” he said in an interview before starting the stunt.

May stop man mag-take ako sang liquid, mag-ilis ako sang bayo kay sobra nga basâ pero seconds lang ang rest,” he added.

While Caigoy was making the reps, a donation box was being passed around to solicit any amount of cash to be later turned over to the Aleosan District Hospital in Barangay Bancal, Alimodian.

According to Caigoy, the hospital has an 80-bed capacity but because of the influx of patients its daily occupancy rate reaches up to 195 people.

All the proceeds will be given to the hospital. The amount may be used to buy folding beds and nebulizers, he said.

This was not the first time that Caigoy tried to help the Aleosan District Hospital through a fundraiser stunt.

In 2007 he also tried setting a world record by sweeping major streets in Alimodian, Leon and San Miguel – the three towns where most of the hospital’s clients reside – for 24 hours straight. But he got tired after more than 12 hours.

OBSESSION

Gerard Jessie Caigoy has been performing endurance and pain-inducing stunts for decades already, including working out nonstop for 12 hours on a stepper gym machine, doing 31,700 steps for 12 hours nonstop at Rajah Solaiman Plaza in Manila, pulling a car with hooks pierced through his skin, doing pushups on four standing bottles with weights on his back, and using his earlobes to pull a three-wheel cart with a donation box on board for 24 hours.

“I’ve been in physical fitness since 1982 asta tulad. Obsession ko ang physical fitness,” Caigoy said. His secret to achieving an incredibly pain-resistant body? Exercising daily, eating healthy food, getting adequate rest, and avoiding smoking and liquor.

Caigoy’s son looks up to him. “Very proud gid ako kay Papa kay mabinuligon sia,” said Jethro, who also witnessed the stunt at Robinsons Pavia.

His father’s job of performing stunts helped their mother, a public school teacher, to send them all five siblings through college, Jethro said.

The Aleosan District Hospital chief thanked Caigoy for always trying to help the medical facility. “Nagapasalamat gid ako nga ginhatagan ni Jess sang igtalupangod ang hospital kapin nga sia taga-Leon,” said Dr. Paz V. Calopiz.

Caigoy may have seen the influx of patients at the district hospital every day and this prompted him to try to help increase its bed capacity, Calopiz said./PN

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