We’ve all had childish dreams about being a super hero right? Or is that just me? Anyway, there are some living among us that didn’t just dream, they became – either by choice or necessity – Real Life Super Humans!
So ManSpace decided that we’d take a closer look at some of these remarkable individuals and compile a list. Here, in no particular order, are our Top Ten Real Life Super Humans.
10. The Spider Man – Jyothi Raj
Jyothi Raj aka ‘The Monkey King’ (Kothi Raju) hails from Chitradurga, India and is famous for climbing all kinds of ridiculously vertical edifices with seemingly super human strength and agility. The man never uses a harness or safety net and pulls off some truly awesome flips and manoeuvres while he’s at it.
An ex-construction worker, Jyothi says he developed his remarkable skills working on the rickety bamboo scaffolding that is used on Indian construction sites.
9. The Human Battery – Biba Struja
No one knows how Biba Struja does what he does. But since his early youth ‘Electric Biba’ discovered that he wasn’t affected by electricity like the rest of us.
The 50-something Serbian man is completely hairless and has become famous for being able to withstand, and control, massive amounts of electricity. In 1983 he set a Guinness World Record for allowing 2000 volts to pass through his body, and regularly blows minds by cooking hotdogs, lighting fluoro tubes and boiling water by conducting electricity through his body. He has also tried to arrange a test of his abilities by getting the US government to electrocute him in an electric chair – unfortunately they declined.
8. Aqua Man – Sulbin Bajau
Sulbin is a Bajau fisherman from South East Asia who is able to free dive down to 20 metres, then walk along the ocean floor to hunt for fish. His heartbeat slows, and the pressure of the water compresses all of the air in his lungs allowing him to walk on the sea floor as though he is on land.
He can stay underwater for up to five minutes – and he’s not just sitting there holding his breath, he’s walking around spearfishing for crying out loud! Not too shabby.
7. The Hammer Head – John Ferraro
John Ferraro aka Gino Martino, aka The Hammer Head, was born with a skull nearly two and a half times thicker than average. So what does he do for kicks? Why hammer nails into wood with his hefty cranium of course.
The Hammer Head enjoyed a successful career as a wrestler and strongman. He also travels around smashing steel bars and baseball bats with the top of his face – a living marvel.
6.The Ice Man – Wim Hof
Ever winced as you jumped in the shower to realise the water hadn’t heated up yet? Did you feel like a little girl? You should’ve.
Wim Hof has completed a full marathon in northern Finland, with temperatures around -20 C, in shorts! This was also his chosen attire for climbing Mount Everest and Kilimanjaro. The Ice man holds the world record for the longest ice bath, staying fully submerged for 1 hour and 13 minutes. In 2011 he proved he had the ability to control his immune system, and regularly swims in the Arctic Ocean.
5. Mr Eats’ All – Michel Lotito
Monsieur Mangetout, or Mr Eats’ All, was a French performance artist who ate a whole heap of really weird stuff, like bikes, TV’s and (spectacularly) a Cessna 150 aeroplane!
He claimed to experience no ill effects from this wacky diet (though he did die at 57) but would turn up his nose at an egg or banana, claiming they made him feel ill!
4. The Running Man – Dean Karnazes
This guy can run for what seems like forever. He has done 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 US states, and ran 560 km’s in just over 80 hours without sleeping. The man is a machine!
3. Rubber Boy – Daniel Browning Smith
I must admit, this young man makes me feel vaguely ill – but my god does the boy have ability! Daniel Browning Smith holds the title for the most flexible person is history.
His interest in contortion began at a very young age, and when he reached 18, he ran away to join the circus. I don’t know how long it took him to learn how to pass his body through a tennis racquet (see the video), but it’s an eye opener to say the least.
2. The Human Camera – Stephen Wiltshire
Stephen Wiltshire can draw whole cities after seeing them just once. His incredibly complex drawings are to scale, and accurate down to the number of windows in each building.
When Stephen was three he was diagnosed as autistic and didn’t learn to speak fully until he was nine. In his early years he communicated through drawing and reportedly uttered his first word, ‘paper’, at five years old.
1. The boy who could see without eyes – Ben Underwood
Ben Underwood was diagnosed with retinal cancer at the age of two, and had his eyes removed before he reached his fourth birthday. By the time Ben reached his fifth birthday, he had learned how to echolocate.
By clicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth and listening to variations in the sound, Ben was able to ‘see’ objects around him so accurately that he could roller-blade, ride a bike, play basketball and navigate city streets unaided. What a boss.
