Local teen chases unique world record
13-year-old Jackson Fuller is attempting to set the record for most miles travelled in an ATV within 24 hours this weekend, chasing it by lapping around the Orillia & District Agricultural Society (ODAS) Park circuit outside Orillia.
The Wasaga Beach teen began his marathon just after 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning, hoping to reach 500 miles (800 kilometres) by 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
He also hopes his record-setting attempt will help him raise funds and collect non-perishable food donations to support local food banks.
"Me and my dad were driving past the food banks in Barrie one day [and] the lineup was at least two hours long," recalled Jackson. "I decided, why don't I do it on an ATV and do it for food banks for Simcoe County."
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
With top speeds of 70 kilometres per hour, Jackson must complete approximately 600 laps of the ODAS Park circuit to reach his target. He has been making pit stops throughout the day to refuel both his body and ATV when necessary.
"The bathroom and the eating breaks are all included in the fuel breaks," explained Jackson. "Whenever I get refuelled, I usually have a granola bar and a drink of Gatorade or water."
Jackson previously intended to set a world record for the most snowmobiling miles travelled by a youth this past winter, but there was not enough snow.
His progress along his ATV record-setting chase is being tracked with the help of his father, Josh, and other family and friends. GPS tracking, a manual log, and video footage of Jackson's efforts will be presented to Guinness for his potential record to be validated.
"This kid has so much passion and heart," said Josh Fuller. Jackson's father then recalled that drive past a Barrie food bank. "He just looked over at me and said, 'Dad, this ATV event, we're going to do it for the food banks. And I said, 'let's do it.'"
Josh added that no long-distance ATV record previously existed for youth, which allowed them more flexibility in choosing a location and track length.
While Jackson hopes to raise more than $30,000 for local food banks by the end of November, Josh says he would be happy with $5,000 and plenty of food donations.
"It's more about filling the shelves," explained Josh. "We'll take anything to help the food banks."
Josh and other family and friends will support Jackson overnight as he continues his record-setting mission.
Food and financial donations will be accepted on-site at the ODAS Park circuit or through social media.
Jackson and Josh plan to re-attempt the records for travelling the most snowmobiling miles within 24 hours in February.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Biden and Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House says
U.S. President Joe Biden will host President-elect Donald Trump for a postelection meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House said Saturday.
Qatar is suspending its role in talks between Israel and Hamas, sources say
Qatar is suspending its role as a mediator in talks between Israel and Hamas after concluding that the two sides are no longer negotiating in good faith, two sources familiar with the situation tell CNN.
1 monkey recovered safely, 42 others remain on the run from South Carolina lab
One of 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina has been recovered unharmed, officials said Saturday.
Opinion Was music really better when you were younger? Or is your mind deceiving you?
As I see other generations of music lovers say music was so much better when they were younger, I wondered why. We can’t all be right — or maybe we are? I talked to experts in how music influences our brains to find out.
Thousands of Spaniards demand the resignation of Valencia leader for bungling flood response
Thousands of Spaniards marched in the eastern city of Valencia on Saturday to demand the resignation of the regional president in charge of the emergency response to last week's catastrophic floods that left more than 200 dead and others missing.
Cynics not only lose out on friendships, love and opportunity — they're also wrong about human nature
Cynicism is on the rise. Should that come as any surprise given today’s divisive global conflicts and our fraught political landscape? Even the weather seems like it’s out to get us.
Remembrance Day: What's open and closed in Canada?
While banks and post offices will be closed nationwide on Remembrance Day, shops and businesses could be open depending on where you live in Canada.
Man charged with participating in march with flaming torch has pleaded guilty to lesser charge
Another man charged with carrying a flaming torch with the intent to intimidate during a 2017 rally at the University of Virginia campus has agreed to a plea deal.
Rafael weakens to tropical storm over Gulf of Mexico after barreling through Cuba as a hurricane
Rafael weakened to a tropical storm and is expected to dissolve over the Gulf of Mexico soon, after barreling across Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane.