Environmental activist hugs a tree for three days straight to send powerful message

A passionate environmental activist from Kenya is hoping to send a strong message about protecting the Earth after hugging a tree for three whole days.

Truphena Muthoni has set the record for longest marathon hugging a tree with an unbelievable total of 72 hours.

The record was first broken in 2024 by Faith Patricia Ariokot (Uganda) with a time of 16 hr 6 sec.

Abdul Hakim Awal (Ghana) broke it in 2024 with 24 hr 21 min 4 sec, and Truphena first came along in February 2025 to take the title with a total of 48 hr.

Frederick Boakye (Ghana) very briefly held the record with a time of 50 hr 2 min 28 sec, before Truphena took it back with her record-shattering time.

22-year-old Truphena, who has founded her own initiative called Hug the Earth, told us: “The first attempt was a statement, a way to reintroduce humanity to the Earth through a simple, intimate act.

“The second attempt was a commitment. I realized that the world needed more than symbolism, it needed endurance, consistency, and proof that care for the planet is not momentary. Doing it twice was my way of saying that climate action is not a one-off event, but a sustained responsibility.”

Truphena, who is also an ambassador of the 15 Billion Trees Campaign, said she learned a lot from her first attempt that helped her go for so much longer the second time around.

To prepare the first time, she engaged in dry fasting and reduced her water intake to train her body to go for long periods without it.

“However, I later realized this approach was a mistake,” she said, “as it placed unnecessary strain on my kidneys and increased the risk of serious health complications.”

“I also overprepared physically during my first attempt by doing strenuous exercises driven by nervousness rather than strategy.

“For my second attempt, I approached preparation very differently. I significantly increased my water intake in the weeks leading up to the challenge to properly condition my body and protect my organs, and I prepared in a calm, relaxed, and confident way.

“This made a remarkable difference, I was not physically tired at all during the attempt. The main challenge I experienced was sleepiness, largely because I missed proper sleep the day before the record began. Overall, the experience taught me that endurance is not about deprivation or intensity, but about preparation, balance, and respecting the body’s limits.”

As with all our marathon record attempts, Truphena earned five minutes of rest for every hour of activity. It was up to her whether to take a break every hour or save them up for a longer rest.

Through her record attempts, Truphena hopes to spread a message throughout the world that “healing the planet does not require violence, conflict, or fear”.

“It can begin with care,” she said. “Hugging a tree shows that nature is not separate from us, it is family. If one person can stay connected for 72 hours, then surely humanity can learn to protect what still sustains us.

“Also, before we plant a million trees we must nurture a million hearts that care. Conservation should come from a place of love instead of instruction.”

Truphena, who is “profoundly humbled” to have broken the record two times, says her attempts taught her about the strength of stillness and that being a leader doesn’t always mean being loud and forceful.

She said: “I see my record not as a personal victory, but as offering time back to the Earth, time for reflection, time for reconnection, and time to awaken collective responsibility.”

The passionate activist used her record attempts to promote the protection of trees and to honour the wisdom of Indigenous people.

Everything about her, including the colour of her hair and outfit, is designed to send a message about protecting the environment.

She also paid tribute to those living with disabilities by being blindfolded after surpassing her previous record of 48 hours.

She knew it would be a challenging time, even having an ambulance on standby in case anything was to go wrong.

But in the end, it was all worth it for Truphena, who has spread her message far and wide.