How do you spend 100 hours in your typical week? For most of us, the obvious answer is work and sleep. However, in November 2019, Jenny Doan had other plans. At a brewery in Chicago, she set a world record for the longest marathon hula hooping at 100 hours.
What led this Perth-born and bred hula hooper to such extremes? Funnily enough, she wasn't always a hula hooper; at the time, she was a data analyst at Uber. Raised by Vietnamese immigrants, she inherited a strong work ethic and followed their path to success by getting a degree and a good job.
But something was missing; she wasn't happy, and life felt mundane, the same thing day in and day out. She had no idea what she wanted, so in her mid-20s, Jenny started her adventure to discover what she enjoyed. Despite being the kid picked last at sport, she cycled 20,000km across 21 countries. It turns out endurance was her superpower, but she had never taken the chance to explore it before.
Getting out of her comfort zone inspired Jenny to rediscover herself and pursue opportunities abroad. She moved to the US and began her endurance hula hooping training. After her 100 hour world record, she broke two more: most consecutive stairs climbed while hula hooping - 10,241 stairs and most hula hoops spun while suspended upside down - 23 hula hoops.
Jenny's time in the US came to a sudden stop when she received a gut-wrenching call from her mum. Her dad had been diagnosed with leukaemia. Within days, she packed up her life and returned home, spending the next 12 months supporting her dad and family through his chemotherapy treatment. Tragically, he didn't make it; at the age of 65, he peacefully passed away, surrounded by his family.
Losing her father reminded Jenny that life is short and unpredictable. She began thinking about her legacy and the impact she wanted on the world. She decided to share the lessons she learned through her experiences of self-discovery, building resilience and overcoming adversity.
She embarked on the next big journey in her life: becoming a motivational speaker. Reflecting on her life, she realised it's not the official things that bring us joy, like a job title or salary. Instead she celebrates what we do for fun, our hobbies, our passions, and how we express ourselves.
To Jenny, enjoying life isn't about being the best in the world, it's about being your best self, exploring who you are and what matters to you.
If you want to see more of Jenny, you can follow her on Instagram at thejennydoan and check out her website at www.jennydoan.com.au. To book her for a motivational workshop, hula hooping group session, or as a guest speaker for your next event, email her at info@jennydoan.com.au.
Picture Credit: Instagram: ksenia_belova_photography
