A part-time nurse from Kent is attempting to set a new Guinness World Record for the longest singing marathon by an individual
Victoria (left) with her sister in law(Image: )
A part-time nurse from Kent is attempting to set a new Guinness World Record for the longest singing marathon by an individual, to show her two-year-old son and others that “no dream is impossible”.
Victoria Onuora, 41, started her world record attempt at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent at 2.50pm on Monday January 19, and plans to sing a set list of around 160 songs in a loop for six days.
“Singing is where I’m happiest,” she told PA Real Life ahead of the attempt. “I’m always singing in the shower, I was in a choir before, and I just felt like this was something that I wanted to do. It almost feels like it’s a dream because I love to sing, and I feel like this is a great way to share that love with people. I’m very big on community, so having a community to experience this with is just going to be amazing.”
The current record is held by Sunil Waghmare, who sang for 105 hours in India in 2012, and while there have been attempts since then, none has been verified and confirmed by the Guinness World Records’ in-house records management team.
“He sang songs for about four hours without repeating any songs and I’m going to try to go for 12 hours without repeating any songs,” said Victoria. “I’m feeling hopeful because this feels like years, almost a lifetime, of training to pull something like this off.”
The rules say that for every hour you sing, you can have five minutes of rest.
“I’m going to try my best to just sing as long as possible, bank those hours in, so if I need an ad hoc break later down the line, I can just take it without having to worry about my time,” said Victoria.
“But within that time, I will definitely be taking sips of something warm and will have a nebuliser on hand, which will help add moisture to my vocal cords.”
Although the longest Victoria has sung non-stop is eight hours, she said she feels quietly confident about this week’s challenge.
“I am such a determined person and I do believe I’m going to finish this,” said Victoria.
“I think my determination comes from a quiet confidence around the fact that I have persevered through a lot of challenging situations and times where I never thought I would make it and came out on the other side. I’m not leaving my child for a week to come and fail.”
The idea popped into her head about six months ago.
“At first my husband rolled his eyes and was like, ‘Here we go again, Victoria’,” she laughed.
“He didn’t think I was serious at first, but then we discussed it and he said, ‘If that’s something you really want to do, go for it’ He supports me in everything I do, so I made the application.”
Her sisters did not even flinch when she told them about her grand singing plans.
“They thought I was crazy, but they know that I’m crazy. I am so random,” said Victoria. “My sister Vanessa said, ‘Yeah, of course, Victoria, it wouldn’t be you if you didn’t do that’. My family just absolutely know me.
“If I said that I wanted to bungee jump right before I start the singing challenge, they would all be like, ‘Yeah, that’s very you’.”
The nurse said she will have to pace herself to complete the challenge.
“I’m not going to belt from the get-go because it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” said Victoria. “It’s all about technique and I need to make my voice work for me. I’m going to start slow and steady.”
She added that her faith and her family will help her get through any hard moments.
“I can do anything because God is with me, that’s my core,” said Victoria.
“I honestly feel like I can do anything that people say is impossible. I also want to be a role model to my two-year-old son and want to continue to break boundaries.”
Her passion for music stems from her childhood.
“I remember listening to Whitney Houston at 10 years old and just being amazed by her singing talent,” recalled Victoria. “For me, that’s probably where my love of music started. I went on to immerse myself in all sorts of music – I sang in church, I sang in school choirs, I sang anywhere anyone would let me sing.
“At 16, I was so sure I was going to get a record deal and I was going to meet Usher.
“So, I’ve always wanted to sing professionally. Singing, to me, is not a hobby. It’s who I am.”
Victoria said she enjoys all genres of music, and her varied set list for the challenge – which starts with Vision Of Love by Mariah Carey – reflects this.
“I love Christian contemporary music, rap, R&B, bubblegum rock etc,” she said.
“I can listen to Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne and be like, that’s amazing, and then turn around and listen to Carrie Underwood and think, that’s great country music, I need to learn that.
“So, I will immerse myself in any music that sounds great to me and speaks to me.”
The set list also includes songs such as A New Day Has Come by Celine Dion, You Are Not Alone by Michael Jackson and Pour Me Out by Todd Dulaney.
The mum chose to undertake her world record attempt at Bluewater Shopping Centre because she sees it as the hub of the local community.
“I just wanted a space that had people of different ages, different walks of life and different experiences,” said Victoria.
“A lot of the songs that I am going to be singing are nostalgic, and I want people to turn around and say, ‘Hold on, I haven’t heard that song in years’.
“These are the types of feelings I’m going to try to conjure up.
“Also, when I sing a heartbreak song, a 15-year-old who’s heartbroken can resonate with it, too.”
Victoria hopes her story will inspire others to be bold and push boundaries.
“This sounds like such an unreachable dream, but it is possible,” said Victoria.
“I want people to know that no dream is impossible.”
To find out more, visit: www.gracefullybestowed.com.
