Man with world's fastest responses says nervous system disorder gave him superpowers
Pekka Luodeslampi (Finland) has lightning-fast responses – and it’s all down to what he calls his “superpower”.
The 40-year-old social media influencer claimed the record for fastest response time (punch) in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 0.186 seconds in May 2020.
It was after taking up boxing as a hobby that he realized just how quickly his fists could fly.
"I do punch with flabbergasting momentum,” he quipped. And he’s not wrong!
His talents have seen him go on to break more thrilling record titles, including four others that still stand today:
- Longest volleyball serve – 21.05 m (69.06 ft)
- Most full extension punches in three minutes (II) – 209
- Fastest time to punch ten 20 kg weights (II) – 27 seconds
- Most chopsticks snapped with a single martial arts strike (II) – 21
The II in some of Pekka’s record titles refers to our impairment classifications, which make record breaking fair and accessible to everyone.
Pekka has a central nervous system developmental disorder that causes Tourette syndrome and hyperactivity of the nervous system to, he says, “borderline superhuman level”.
“I got my brain scanned by CT and I was a real life mutant,” he said. “At least partly explaining my powers.”
His condition affects his motor functions and perception, but with lots of physical training, Pekka was able to overcome these challenges and become a record-breaking legend.
He said: "By realizing that I am functioning in constant impulse storm, I started to speculate, would it supercharge my reaction time also? I knew I am fast to react but how quick? In 2019 the journey was set in motion".
Read about more records like this in our Sports and Fitness section.
Pekka combined physical training in boxing and Thai chi with spiritual and mental exercises and found that with hard work and determination, he could overcome any obstacle.
He went on to become a black belt in the Finnish martial arts organization TKSDB, founded by martial artist Timo Jansson.
And as his profile built, it was actually a mean message from an online troll that spurred him on to prove the haters wrong by claiming his first world record.
“That made me think in a positive way because my nervous system is hyperactive – how does it affect my reaction time?” he pondered.
As he worked to build up his speed, he found inspiration in Street Fighter character M. Bison.
He said: “His power enables him to perform superhuman feats and overcome human limitations – same with me! I have my own superhero alter ego, Y-Man the Master of Momentum, who uses Y-Power for special abilities like bending steel with punches and driving 20 cm (8 in) steel nails through steel and wood.”
Pekka says his fastest response time (punch) title is his favourite as while it was technically the easiest feat to achieve, it is the most challenging of his records.
He’s not done just there, of course, and he plans to come back to break even more.
He also hopes his story will inspire others going through their own personal battles.
He said: “Every person has their road full of obstacles and challenges to face. You either fall down or go through them.”