Keegan achieves Guinness World Record!

There are not many people that would give up the comforts of their home for someone else’s benefit but when it comes to Keegan Longuiera its seems there is very little he won’t do to help others and cycling across the continent of Africa is proof of that.

Keegan Longuiera

But with great devotion and love, comes great reward as Keegan is now officially a Guinness World Record holder as he beat the previous record with almost ten days grace. And his achievements have not gone unnoticed as he has been on several national radio and TV stations for interviews since attaining this noteworthy achievement.

When speaking to Keegan, having traveled through grueling weather, cycled through pain, embraced danger with God as his only ally, he simply says, the cause is worth every hardship. And that cause (which people are still invited to donate to) is Operation Smile.

Imagine just for a moment being born with a deformity, but not one that can be hidden by clothes, no rather a glaringly obvious irregularity on the place that people look at first and foremost. A face is where conversations start and emotions are revealed, a place where society places great value and emphasis, a place that is associated with beauty and acceptance.

For this reason, children born with cleft lips and pallet feel so lost and alone, for they cannot build normal relationships or walk among peers with confidence. Especially in rural cultures, most of these precious children are ostracized and shunned for their obvious differences. Keegan has brought to light the plight of these special children who would love nothing more than to be normal.

One sweet girl by the name of Marceline, was called Broken Mouth for eleven years of her life, during the years that build confidence and courage, until she awoke from the surgery to find a girl smiling back at her in the mirror. She was so excited that she could finally go to school with the other children.

“I was fortunate enough to go on one of the Operation Smile missions through Africa and there was one little girl who could not believe what she saw when she looked in the mirror,” remembers Keegan. “She kept touching her lip because she couldn’t understand it.”

“When you see where the money is going and that it makes a tangible difference in children’s lives, it makes the every heartbreaking day away from my family worth it.”

There was recently an intimate meet and greet at News Cafe to celebrate Keegan’s amazing achievement of Guinness World Record holder. Many came to hear stories of the trip and more were encouraged to donate to the worthy charity, the Highveld Mall being one of the evening’s sponsors who awarded Keegan the funds for one surgery (R5500).

It seems like this challenge is the first of many world breaking attempts to come and although Keegan is secretive about his future endeavours, it will without a doubt push his limits and leave people astonished, astounded and inspired.

Article by: Stacey Venter

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