Robson Jesus, 35 years old, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the fastest man to have visited all 196 countries in the world. He accomplished this feat in 2 years and 42 days, starting in Thailand and ending in Brazil. After a five-month review, Guinness confirmed his record on October 18. The previous record was held by American Yili Liu, who took 3 years and 3 months to circumnavigate the globe. Robson, born in a favela in Osasco, started working at the age of 10 and dreamed of traveling and inspiring others. He is the first black person to achieve this feat, following only 150 people who have traveled to all countries before him. "It is not common to see black travelers on the streets. Of ten travelers I met, nine were white. And those who were black were mostly French or American. In Europe, I have often experienced this," he told Folha de S. Paulo. He started the journey with 100,000 R$ (16,220€) and a mobile phone, estimating the total cost at 500,000 R$ (81,100€), but eventually spent 700,000 R$ (113,540€) with the help of advertising and digital products. "I feel responsible for carrying Brazil's name in search of the record. If someone now researches who was the fastest man around the world, they will see that the record is held by a Brazilian," he explained to Folha de S. Paulo.
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