Eat, Pray, Count: What it takes to count to the highest number ever

Wake up, pray, breakfast, count for up to seven hours, lunch, then count until bed.  

Favour Ogechi Ani (Nigeria) followed this routine for 70 days. Starting with the number one and broadcasting from YouTube Live, Favour counted all the way to 1,070,000. This earned her the Guinness World Records title highest number counted out loud. 

“Life itself inspired me to attempt something new,” Favour passionately said. “The internal desire to break limits and achieve something extraordinary pushed me to break this record.” 

This record attempt is very impressive because of the amount of time and dedication she needed to have. Favour said: “honestly, it was tough, but my passion for counting kept me going. I had a lovely team supporting and cheering me up, and it was fun despite the challenges.”

Another motivator Favour could rely on was her YouTube audience. “Livestreaming on YouTube was surreal,” she said. “It kept me motivated knowing people were watching and cheering me on.”

Read more stories record-breaking hobbies in our Hobbies and Skills section.

She was counting around 14 hours a day, so the motivation was essential but Favour’s love of counting also kept her going. Her passion really shows when the previous record holder only counted to one million. Favour surpassed that record by counting 70,000 more numbers aloud. She said: “I'm thrilled to have broken the previous record and I'm truly grateful for the opportunity.”

While doing what she loves, she recalls her final day of counting. “The final day of my counting was emotional,” Favour said. “Saying that last number was a mix of relief and joy at the same time. It was an incredible feeling, knowing I'd achieved something unique.”

While being confined to your home following the same routine for 70 days may sound daunting to some, she said, “my determination to achieve this project was a burn-the-boats mission. I never thought of giving up for any reason.”

1,070,000 now will always be associated with Favour’s passion and dedication for doing what she loves.