British motorcyle racer and TV presenter Guy Martin has set a new world record by riding the biggest Wall of Death in the world.
Martin completed the immense task with a speed of 78.15mph, after initially setting the pace with 70.33mph.
The 34-year-old, who is known for his speedy antics during his motorcycle racer career and presenting Channel 4's Speed with Guy Martin, took on a huge risk as he tackled the largest Wall of Death the world has ever seen live on Channel 4 last night.
The Wall, which was purposely built for Martin's attempt, was described as something that many should fear, let alone take to it on a motorbike.
"It’s like the Colosseum," said Ken Fox, Martin’s trainer for the stunt. “You expect to see lions and gladiators."
After the unlikely heartthrob completed his death-defying stunt on the 20-ton wooden wall that is six metres high and ten metres in diameter, the truck-fitter from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, in true British style, simply reached for a cup of tea...but his partner looked like she might have preferred something stronger.
'How can she bear to watch?' Daredevil Guy Martin smashes Wall Of Death record on live TV - but viewers take to Twitter to say they feel sorry for his GIRLFRIEND
Daredevil completed high-octane ride in front of live television audience
Viewers wondered how girlfriend Sharon copes with watching him ride
Chatty Martin relaxed with a cup of tea after smashing the world record
By Jo Tweedy For Mailonline
29 March 2016
Daily Mail
The record-breaking stunt was shown live on Channel 4 last night
As one of Britain's leading superbike racers, Guy Martin knows more than a thing or two about dicing with death on two wheels.
However, if the 34-year-old from Lincolnshire looked assured as he tackled the world's biggest Wall of Death live on television, his girlfriend Sharon Comiskey looked anything but.
After the unlikely heartthrob reached hair-raising speeds of 78.15mph on the 20-ton wooden wall that is six metres high and ten metres in diameter, the truck-fitter from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, in true British style, simply reached for a cup of tea...but his partner looked like she might have preferred something stronger.
Guy Martin on site at the Wall of Death
'Sharon, pass me that brew': Guy Martin takes a cup of tea from his girlfriend Sharon after breaking the World Record on the Wall of Death
How does she watch? Martin's partner Sharon Comiskey looked away frequently during the challenge
Would you be his girlfriend? Martin's girlfriend Sharon got the sympathy of a lot of people watching
Tea and toast...they know how to live it up: Martin's girlfriend revealed their post-challenge revelry
The hashtag #Wallofdeath trended on Twitter during and after the two-hour show, which was screened live on Channel 4 at 7:15pm, as viewers were left open-mouthed by a dizzying feat that saw Martin reach G-force of 5.2 while riding a self-built Triumph.
@FrankstaPasta wrote: 'Guy Martin: proof that an Englishman just needs a cup of tea in order to survive anything. Even greying out from g-force on a wall of death.'
@danharvey88 added: 'Guy Martin never ceases to amaze me, absolute legend! Another world record and a cuppa tea to celebrate.'
@dherk_ aka Mike Fairhurst added: 'Absolutely love Guy Martin; sets a world record, stands there drinking a cup of tea like nothing's happened.'
@abbie_wray said the programme was a celebration of a very British daredevil: 'Guy Martin has just won a world record and is now celebrating with a cuppa, is that not just the most British thing you've ever heard.'
Others felt more for his girlfriend Dubliner Sharon Comiskey, who has moved to Lincolnshire to set up home with Martin, after she appeared barely able to watch.
When the feat was over, Martin, who has Asperger Syndrome, turned to his girlfriend and said: 'Sharon, give me that brew.'
One user, @lost-map, simply observed: 'Guy Martin is a nutter, I feel sorry for his girlfriend.'
@HanaLouise21 added: 'I love Guy Martin but f*** being his girlfriend, he's mental.'
@sallys_face wrote: 'Hats off to Sharon your nerves must be wrecked!!! #WallOfDeath #GuyMartin'
After the record was broken, Comiskey, , who worked in publicity before heading for rural Lincolnshire, revealed on Facebook that the couple had enjoyed tea and toast in their own down-to-earth post-challenge revelry.
She wrote in the post this morning: 'Thank you for all the texts, calls, emails, tweets and a few by pigeon post. He never fails to impress me.......of course we celebrated in style last night.... tea and toast on the sofa #BIGLOVE'
Happy its over...Martin had to postpone the challenge, which had been set for September, after attaining severe injuries during a superbike race last year
The Wall of Death: Martin managed a speed of 78.15mph while riding around the 20-ton wooden wall
And he's off: Martin built up the speed gradually before going full pelt around the six-metre high cauldron
The truck-fitter who has insisted on keeping his job in Grimsby in favour of a life of stardom receives official confirmation of his heroics
Social media went crazy for Martin's challenge with thousands of people commenting on the show, many loving the fact that the superbike rider opted for a celebratory cup of char after breaking the record
HOW A LATE DIAGNOSIS OF ASPERGER SYNDROME HELPED MARTIN UNDERSTAND HIS STRUGGLE WITH FAME
Often described as a Great British eccentric, Martin has revealed that he has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome – not that it’s made any discernible difference to his life.
‘It all came about three years ago,’ he says. ‘My then girlfriend started saying that there was something up with me, that I wasn’t quite right, that I had no regard for feelings.
Martin has been officially diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome...but the diagnosis hasn't had much impact on his life
'Like if someone died I’d just get on with it. I wouldn’t dwell on the emotions. So she booked me in to see a psychologist and I went along to keep her happy.
'I was in there for a day, filling out questionnaires. That’s how I got diagnosed. People like to have names for things, I suppose.
‘With Asperger’s, maybe people expect me to be socially awkward. I don’t think I am. That said, I’m probably at my happiest when I’m in my shed, tinkering around with my tool box.’
The record-breaking event, for which Martin trained in a circus tent near Cambridge was originally scheduled for last September.
However, in August he suffered fractures to his vertebrae, spine, ribs and hand after being thrown off his motorcycle during a race in Northern Ireland, and rehearsals were postponed.
Martin cheated death during a motorcycle race in Northern Ireland last year:
A segment of the show focused on his injuries and recovery, including 4am dips in an outdoor pool to help heal his injuries.
With steel rods in his back and nails holding together his hand, Martin's recovery has largely been a successful one.
He told Event magazine in a recent interview: 'I guess I like to see how close I can come to death without actually dying.’
For the Wall of Death, his preparation was especially intensive, and he went to the lengths of spending time with Cambridge University physicist Hugh Hunt.
‘He explained all the maths to me,’ says Martin. ‘With his help I got to understand the complex set of forces, gravitational and frictional, that work together in harmony on a Wall of Death.
‘To an outsider, it might look like I’m being reckless by attempting something like this. But I don’t see it that way at all. If I stick to the maths, I’ll stick to the wall. That’s the theory anyway. I’m not pretending it’s a walk in the park.
'To begin with, dizziness was a problem for me because of the speeds I was going at. But I’ve got used to dealing with it.
'Apart from that, the biggest challenge has been getting on and getting off the wall.
The trick is to gain enough speed to stick to the wall as I begin to climb, then slow down at the right pace to enable a safe landing.
'Also, I need to be sure that my pace can handle the g-force, as my heart needs to be able to keep the blood flowing to my brain. If I get it wrong I could black out and lose consciousness.'
A modern take on a fairground freak-show ride: Martin has captivated audiences with his latest stunt
Injuries sustained last year saw Martin have steel rods placed in his upper back and dozens of nails to support his splintered finger bones
Of his childhood growing up in Lincolnshire, Martin says: ‘I was a very active kid. I liked jumping off bridges and setting fire to things. Or I’d wet my fingers and stick them in plug sockets. Anything for a laugh.
'For a time I loved blowing up lawnmowers. Then I decided that there was more fun to be had in rebuilding them so they’d go faster.
'After that, it was all about speed. I’d muck about with mopeds, seeing how fast I could get them to go. Then, in my teens, I discovered racing motorbikes and there was no looking back.’
Despite his fast-growing fame and four books now written, Martin refuses to give up his day job as a mechanic, fixing vehicles for a Grimsby-based truck and trailer dealership.
The down-to-earth star cycles 32km to work every day, something that girlfriend Sharon says worries her more than the daredevil stunts.
Martin completed the immense task with a speed of 78.15mph, after initially setting the pace with 70.33mph.
The 34-year-old, who is known for his speedy antics during his motorcycle racer career and presenting Channel 4's Speed with Guy Martin, took on a huge risk as he tackled the largest Wall of Death the world has ever seen live on Channel 4 last night.
The Wall, which was purposely built for Martin's attempt, was described as something that many should fear, let alone take to it on a motorbike.
"It’s like the Colosseum," said Ken Fox, Martin’s trainer for the stunt. “You expect to see lions and gladiators."
After the unlikely heartthrob completed his death-defying stunt on the 20-ton wooden wall that is six metres high and ten metres in diameter, the truck-fitter from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, in true British style, simply reached for a cup of tea...but his partner looked like she might have preferred something stronger.
'How can she bear to watch?' Daredevil Guy Martin smashes Wall Of Death record on live TV - but viewers take to Twitter to say they feel sorry for his GIRLFRIEND
Daredevil completed high-octane ride in front of live television audience
Viewers wondered how girlfriend Sharon copes with watching him ride
Chatty Martin relaxed with a cup of tea after smashing the world record
By Jo Tweedy For Mailonline
29 March 2016
Daily Mail
The record-breaking stunt was shown live on Channel 4 last night
As one of Britain's leading superbike racers, Guy Martin knows more than a thing or two about dicing with death on two wheels.
However, if the 34-year-old from Lincolnshire looked assured as he tackled the world's biggest Wall of Death live on television, his girlfriend Sharon Comiskey looked anything but.
After the unlikely heartthrob reached hair-raising speeds of 78.15mph on the 20-ton wooden wall that is six metres high and ten metres in diameter, the truck-fitter from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, in true British style, simply reached for a cup of tea...but his partner looked like she might have preferred something stronger.
Guy Martin on site at the Wall of Death
'Sharon, pass me that brew': Guy Martin takes a cup of tea from his girlfriend Sharon after breaking the World Record on the Wall of Death
How does she watch? Martin's partner Sharon Comiskey looked away frequently during the challenge
Would you be his girlfriend? Martin's girlfriend Sharon got the sympathy of a lot of people watching
Tea and toast...they know how to live it up: Martin's girlfriend revealed their post-challenge revelry
The hashtag #Wallofdeath trended on Twitter during and after the two-hour show, which was screened live on Channel 4 at 7:15pm, as viewers were left open-mouthed by a dizzying feat that saw Martin reach G-force of 5.2 while riding a self-built Triumph.
@FrankstaPasta wrote: 'Guy Martin: proof that an Englishman just needs a cup of tea in order to survive anything. Even greying out from g-force on a wall of death.'
@danharvey88 added: 'Guy Martin never ceases to amaze me, absolute legend! Another world record and a cuppa tea to celebrate.'
@dherk_ aka Mike Fairhurst added: 'Absolutely love Guy Martin; sets a world record, stands there drinking a cup of tea like nothing's happened.'
@abbie_wray said the programme was a celebration of a very British daredevil: 'Guy Martin has just won a world record and is now celebrating with a cuppa, is that not just the most British thing you've ever heard.'
Others felt more for his girlfriend Dubliner Sharon Comiskey, who has moved to Lincolnshire to set up home with Martin, after she appeared barely able to watch.
When the feat was over, Martin, who has Asperger Syndrome, turned to his girlfriend and said: 'Sharon, give me that brew.'
One user, @lost-map, simply observed: 'Guy Martin is a nutter, I feel sorry for his girlfriend.'
@HanaLouise21 added: 'I love Guy Martin but f*** being his girlfriend, he's mental.'
@sallys_face wrote: 'Hats off to Sharon your nerves must be wrecked!!! #WallOfDeath #GuyMartin'
After the record was broken, Comiskey, , who worked in publicity before heading for rural Lincolnshire, revealed on Facebook that the couple had enjoyed tea and toast in their own down-to-earth post-challenge revelry.
She wrote in the post this morning: 'Thank you for all the texts, calls, emails, tweets and a few by pigeon post. He never fails to impress me.......of course we celebrated in style last night.... tea and toast on the sofa #BIGLOVE'
Happy its over...Martin had to postpone the challenge, which had been set for September, after attaining severe injuries during a superbike race last year
The Wall of Death: Martin managed a speed of 78.15mph while riding around the 20-ton wooden wall
And he's off: Martin built up the speed gradually before going full pelt around the six-metre high cauldron
The truck-fitter who has insisted on keeping his job in Grimsby in favour of a life of stardom receives official confirmation of his heroics
Social media went crazy for Martin's challenge with thousands of people commenting on the show, many loving the fact that the superbike rider opted for a celebratory cup of char after breaking the record
HOW A LATE DIAGNOSIS OF ASPERGER SYNDROME HELPED MARTIN UNDERSTAND HIS STRUGGLE WITH FAME
Often described as a Great British eccentric, Martin has revealed that he has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome – not that it’s made any discernible difference to his life.
‘It all came about three years ago,’ he says. ‘My then girlfriend started saying that there was something up with me, that I wasn’t quite right, that I had no regard for feelings.
Martin has been officially diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome...but the diagnosis hasn't had much impact on his life
'Like if someone died I’d just get on with it. I wouldn’t dwell on the emotions. So she booked me in to see a psychologist and I went along to keep her happy.
'I was in there for a day, filling out questionnaires. That’s how I got diagnosed. People like to have names for things, I suppose.
‘With Asperger’s, maybe people expect me to be socially awkward. I don’t think I am. That said, I’m probably at my happiest when I’m in my shed, tinkering around with my tool box.’
The record-breaking event, for which Martin trained in a circus tent near Cambridge was originally scheduled for last September.
However, in August he suffered fractures to his vertebrae, spine, ribs and hand after being thrown off his motorcycle during a race in Northern Ireland, and rehearsals were postponed.
Martin cheated death during a motorcycle race in Northern Ireland last year:
A segment of the show focused on his injuries and recovery, including 4am dips in an outdoor pool to help heal his injuries.
With steel rods in his back and nails holding together his hand, Martin's recovery has largely been a successful one.
He told Event magazine in a recent interview: 'I guess I like to see how close I can come to death without actually dying.’
For the Wall of Death, his preparation was especially intensive, and he went to the lengths of spending time with Cambridge University physicist Hugh Hunt.
‘He explained all the maths to me,’ says Martin. ‘With his help I got to understand the complex set of forces, gravitational and frictional, that work together in harmony on a Wall of Death.
‘To an outsider, it might look like I’m being reckless by attempting something like this. But I don’t see it that way at all. If I stick to the maths, I’ll stick to the wall. That’s the theory anyway. I’m not pretending it’s a walk in the park.
'To begin with, dizziness was a problem for me because of the speeds I was going at. But I’ve got used to dealing with it.
'Apart from that, the biggest challenge has been getting on and getting off the wall.
The trick is to gain enough speed to stick to the wall as I begin to climb, then slow down at the right pace to enable a safe landing.
'Also, I need to be sure that my pace can handle the g-force, as my heart needs to be able to keep the blood flowing to my brain. If I get it wrong I could black out and lose consciousness.'
A modern take on a fairground freak-show ride: Martin has captivated audiences with his latest stunt
Injuries sustained last year saw Martin have steel rods placed in his upper back and dozens of nails to support his splintered finger bones
Of his childhood growing up in Lincolnshire, Martin says: ‘I was a very active kid. I liked jumping off bridges and setting fire to things. Or I’d wet my fingers and stick them in plug sockets. Anything for a laugh.
'For a time I loved blowing up lawnmowers. Then I decided that there was more fun to be had in rebuilding them so they’d go faster.
'After that, it was all about speed. I’d muck about with mopeds, seeing how fast I could get them to go. Then, in my teens, I discovered racing motorbikes and there was no looking back.’
Despite his fast-growing fame and four books now written, Martin refuses to give up his day job as a mechanic, fixing vehicles for a Grimsby-based truck and trailer dealership.
The down-to-earth star cycles 32km to work every day, something that girlfriend Sharon says worries her more than the daredevil stunts.
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