Devoted dad breaks Guinness World Record by getting his daughter’s name tattooed on his back 267 TIMES
Mark Evans, 43, from Wrexham, has now smashed 287 different Guinness World Records
A DEVOTED father has had his 10-month-old daughter’s name tattooed on his back – a staggering 267 times.
Mark Evans, 43, from Wrexham, is a self-confessed Guinness World Record nut and has racked up nearly 300 achievements to become the holder of the most records by a Welsh person.
When his daughter Lucy was born last July, the factory worker decided to celebrate with another record – but now his long-suffering wife Catherine, 36, has told him that enough is enough.
Mark told The Sun Online: “I was approaching 40 when I decided I wanted to leave a legacy, something to write on my gravestone when I’m gone.
“That’s when I had my lightbulb moment: I was going to become a record-breaker.
“I started off with a couple of fun ones, downing eight cans of Red Bull in three minutes, and golf ball skimming, until eventually I’d clocked up 289 official world records.”
Encouraged by his mates, Mark decided to set another record in tribute to his daughter Lucy.
“Lots of people get their children’s names tattooed somewhere on their body in tribute to their little ones, but I decided to go one step further,” he said.
“I did my research and discovered that the record for the most tattoos of the same name on the body was 29. I was going to smash it!”
Five months later, at Christmas time, he got his epic inking.
“It took me a couple of hours to design the tattoo - a book to signify the Guinness Book of World Records containing Lucy’s name,” he said.
MOST READ IN LIVING
“It took two tattooists at Dexterity Ink in Wrexham an hour to etch her name onto my skin.
“It felt weird - because there were two tattooists doing it at the same time, the pain was kind of cancelled out.”
Mark had originally planned to get 100 ‘Lucy’ inkings so was a bit surprised when he saw the final total had reached 267.
“I was quite shocked. I’ve got other tattoos, Welsh-themed ones like a dragon and Catherine’s name on me once, but I thought we’d only fit 100 names in the book,” he said.
“But if you’re going to do it, you might as well just go for it and do it properly.”
Mark loves showing people his record down the pub and can’t wait to show the design to Lucy when she’s older.
“I wasn’t doing things by halves. When we’re in the pub down the village, little kids come up to me and I can show them the record on my back,” he said.
“I love that I’m literally wearing my record and it goes everywhere with me. I can’t wait to show Lucy and for her to be old enough to appreciate what I’ve done for her.
“I hope she’s proud of her dad - I want to inspire her to achieve things in life and go for her dreams.”
Mark hopes Lucy will follow in his record-breaking ways, but admits Catherine has banned any more stunts.
“One person who’s had enough though is my wife, Catherine. I’m a self-confessed World Record nut and my pursuit of records has been pretty all-consuming,” he said.
“Now we’ve had Lucy she’s told me to pack it in, so I can focus more on the family. I’m just glad I got to complete one last record for my precious girl… that’s a really special feeling.”
But he might have to come out of record-breaking retirement if they ever have another child.
“We’re not planning on having any more children but I suppose I’d have to do something if we do. It might happen. It’ll have to be something bigger,” he teased.
Meanwhile, a Taekwondo teen smashed his way into the record books after breaking 111 concrete blocks with his head.
And, the world's most plastic woman has revealed she now wants to shed her Barbie doll image.