Burpees fuelled by the power of love as gym owner aims to beat her own world record

A Hobart fitness guru will attempt to break her own world record next month, of most chest-to-ground burpees in 24 hours. But her reason for doing so is more romantic than first meets the eye.

Lou Calvert is raising money for her boyfriend Ryan Wiggins, by attempting to beat her own world record for the most chest-to-ground burpees in 24 hours. Picture: Linda Higginson

LOVE and burpees are words not usually uttered in the same sentence, but for fitness guru Lou Calvert, they’re inextricably linked.

Come April 22 – Ms Calvert will attempt to break her own Guinness World Record of most chest-to-ground burpees within a 24-hour period.

But the gym owner won’t just be fuelled by her own sense of competitive achievement – she’s also being fuelled by the power of love.

Ms Calvert, who set the record in December 2019 when she completed 5756 burpees, will use the April attempt to raise money for her new boyfriend, Ryan Wiggins.

Lou Calvert is raising money for Ryan Wiggins by attempting the world record for burpees. Picture: Linda Higginson

Mr Wiggins, a former footballer who played for the Cygnet Football Club, suffered a near-fatal spinal injury in a non-sports-related injury in 2021, leaving him with quadriplegia.

The pair fell in love after Ms Calvert took on the job of Mr Wiggins’ rehabilitation, training him in her gym – hypeGYM at Cambridge – each day.

She’s taken a month off work to train for the world record attempt – with the aim of raising $10,000 to help buy a $45,000 functional electronic stimulation bike for Mr Wiggins, and others with spinal injuries, to use.

Ms Calvert said she loved burpees, and usually did at least 1000 a week in her regular training.

Lou after she set the record for the most burpees in 24 hours in 2019. Picture: EDDIE SAFARIK

“If done correctly, they’re amazing, but if done incorrectly, they’re no good for you. It’s a very technical movement,” she said.

“You target quite a few muscle groups – it’s a compound movement.

“I’ve always loved them. I think I loved them because everyone else hated them.”

Mr Wiggins said the pair had been dating for about three months, having “clicked” while training thanks to their mutual love of fitness and movement.

“She’s pretty crazy but that just shows what sort of person she is – she’s very strong mentally and I’m just so grateful she wants to put her body through 24 hours of burpees to raise money not just money for myself but also to raise money for spinal cord injuries,” he said.

Money is currently being raised through a GoFundMe page, with a raffle to be launched after the event.

Follow @ambervwilson