DonnaJean Wilde, 60, is a recently retired school teacher and administrator who lives with her husband on a farm in Alberta, Canada. Surrounded by five children and twelve grandchildren, she finds her greatest joy in family―and in her lifelong love of health, fitness, and wellness.
DonnaJean’s story is as unique as it is inspiring―and it all began with a broken bone. Today, she holds two Guinness World Records: the longest plank time by a woman (4 hours, 30 minutes, and 11 seconds!), and the most push ups in one hour by a woman (1,575 push ups in 60 minutes!).
So how did she go from everyday life to breaking world records at 59? Keep reading for her advice on motivation, setting and achieving your goals, and aging well.
What was the beginning of your journey like, starting with a broken bone and all?
DonnaJean: In 2013, while I was teaching school in the gym, I slipped on a parachute and fell on the gym floor and broke my wrist. It was devastating for me. I had a big heavy cast. I couldn’t run. I couldn’t work out. I couldn’t lift weights. And I had a very sad heart.
Not long after that, our grown children were in our farm yard talking about the latest planking craze, and we had a little planking contest with our family! I stood by thinking I could not plank with a cast, but I have a hard time watching and not participating. So I got down on the grass and I was so surprised that I could plank with a cast on. I was so thrilled. There was something physical that I could do! But I couldn’t plank very long … a minute and a half or so was all I could do. Each day after that, I just kept planking. I slowly started using my phone, listening to things, and reading my inspirational books and my school lessons. Finally, I got my cast off, but it had become a habit to plank early in the mornings.
Months turned into years, and years later, I was still planking. Those minutes turned into hours, literally. I continued planking while I got my lessons at school, reading texts or emails. I did my entire master’s degree on the floor planking because my classes were online! It has changed my life and I feel so strong and healthy and want to stand up straight. It’s helped my posture, my attitude, and my confidence. So that broken arm changed my life.
“Everything I do that I can do sitting, I do from a plank position. And that is why I still can plank for hours.”
What are tricks or tools to keep going through mental exhaustion and fatigue (in a 4-hour plank or in your everyday life)?
DonnaJean: After I broke the Guinness World Record, I had dozens of interviews and podcasts. I was on the news. People interviewed me, stopped me on the street, asked me questions, and [I received] hundreds of requests to write down my story. So I did. From minutes to hours, I wrote my book while planking.
Some of [my little tricks] include always reading something that is inspiring in the morning while I plank. I write down my goals, and little, good thoughts that I have that would help me. One thing I learned how to do [in my Master’s Degree] was to help students develop toolboxes that would help them with anxiety and concentration, physically. So I coined these “living toolboxes.” A toolbox might include: go for a walk, chew a piece of gum, sit on a favorite kind of chair, use some writing utensils that you like, listen to uplifting music. I fell in love with toolboxes, and as I prepared for the Guinness World Record, I created toolboxes for myself. I would plan what I would think about, what I would read, what I would do while I planked … I never just plank. I read books, I read my emails, my texts, listen to music, watch podcasts, watch movies. Everything I do that I can do sitting, I do from a plank position. And that is why I still can plank for hours.
It actually is a gift of time because I am able to improve my fitness, my mental health, and my posture, study or read, and spend time with my family―all from a plank position.
“I know on record I am 60 years old but I love that I don’t feel any certain age. Just loving life!”
What are your big priorities that keep you motivated?
DonneJean: One big priority is my family; my grandchildren. They keep me motivated because I want to stay active, be able to keep up with them, to attend their events, to participate with them in activities that they love, hiking and fishing … all of those things that I love to do so much.
One way [I stay motivated] is to force myself to prepare. If we are prepared, then challenges that come upon us every day don’t seem so big. Every night I prepare for the next day. I set out my workout clothes. I get ice water ready in the fridge. I put a little heater where I’m going to get dressed so that I’m warm. I set my alarm in a different room so that I will get up to shut it off … I don’t bring my phone into my bedroom. I have some things that I love ready for the morning. And I just start.
Many women want to get into a new healthy routine but don’t know how to start. What would you say to a friend who doesn’t think they can do it?
DonnaJean: Start small. In your home, what could you do? If you start planking, that’s something you can do anywhere. You don’t need equipment. You don’t need special clothing or a special surface. Start small, then just increase your time. Small walks out with a friend. If it’s running you want to do … just start walking, then speed walking, and then throw in a little bit of running. And pretty soon, little by little, it becomes a lot. It’s called the aggregation of marginal gains. Slowly, then suddenly, we increase our capacity. I know this is true. I started at a minute and a half of planking and then went on to break a world record of four and a half hours … we all can do that if we just start small, smile, set some goals, tell somebody about it, and you’re on your way.
What do you love about the age you are right now?
DonnaJean: I love that I am so blessed to live close to my grandchildren. They keep me so busy and motivated. I know on record I am 60 years old but I love that I don’t feel any certain age. Just loving life!
DonnaJean’s Favorite Books For Inspiration
- I Dare You by William Danforth. It’s out of print, but you can still find used copies on Amazon. Danforth’s message is to live tall, stand tall, walk tall, smile tall―to bring your best self to every part of life. He focused on four key areas: spiritual, social, emotional, and intellectual, encouraging readers to set goals and write them down.
- Why Not You? by Ciara and Russell Wilson. Though written as a children’s book, it’s just as powerful for adults. The message is simple but motivating: Why not you? Why not dream big, break through the clouds, and go after what you truly want? DonnaJean loves its reminder to set small daily goals that move you closer to the big ones―because when you write them down, you’re far more likely to achieve them.
- Train Your Brain Like an Olympian by Jean-François Ménard. Written by a mental coach for elite athletes, this book helped DonnaJean immensely while earning her master’s degree. Its lessons go far beyond sports―it’s a guide to training your mind for focus, resilience, and high performance in any area of life.
Follow along with DonnaJean’s journey on Instagram, and read her book From Minutes To Hours: I Wrote This Book While Planking.
