A former soldier has dragged himself into the record books by pulling a car a staggering 36 MILES.<br /><br />Strongman Matt Cooper, 30, hauled a one-tonne Kia Picanto continuously 145 times around a 400m cycle track.<br /><br />He took an exhausting 60 hours to smash the previous record of the longest ever car pull by four miles when he crossed the finish line.<br /><br />Matt, who is 5ft 9ins tall and weighs 17st, trained for his mammoth record attempt by pulling cars around his local supermarket car park.<br /><br />He completed his record attempt at the Tiddington Home Guard Club in Warwickshire last Saturday (7/9).<br /><br />Matt, a digger driver from Banbury, Oxon, said: “We started four hours earlier than planned to make the most of the cooler temperatures but it was still very hot.<br /><br />“When I finished I felt relieved, hot and overwhelmed.<br /><br />“I was thinking it would be a small affair, with just family and friends but it was massive. <br /><br />“The challenge picked up a lot of interest. It was a bit overwhelming.<br /><br />He said: “I only took short breaks for a quick rest water and to fuel up on more food.<br /><br />“I was absolutely terrified, nervous but excited about the challenge."<br /><br />Matt had set out to break three world records: the fastest marathon distance pulling a car, the first to complete a double marathon pulling a vehicle, and the longest distance to ever pull a car.<br /><br />Due to the extreme heatwave which saw temperatures soar to 29C (84F), Matt was only able to break the longest distance record.<br /><br />His incredible feat raised more than £3,000 for Beat, a charity helping people with eat disorders. <br /><br />Matt added: “This is a charity very close to me. I had severe body dysmorphia which is that you think you look a certain way in the mirror, but you really don’t.<br /><br />“I have also had friends and family who suffered from eating disorders.”<br /><br />Matt trained for his record bid by dragging cars around a supermarket carpark.<br /><br />To build up strength, he also ate up to 5,000 calories a day as he bulked on muscle with four-hour daily gym sessions.<br /><br />The former communications system operator for the Royal Signals added: “I started off moderately with my training and eating and it progressed as I got closer to the challenge.<br /><br />“My family thought I was crazy for going ahead with it, but they have always thought I am a little crazy.”<br /><br />Matt is now waiting for Guinness World Records to officially confirm his record.
