Dutch Woman Breaks 41-Year-Old Track and Field World Record

A broken world record, a man who survived 24 days at sea, and more!

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Hapiday Team
February 22, 2023

Hi Hapiday family! We’ve got A LOT going on today!

For those who observe, today is Ash Wednesday, a Christian holy day that occurs six weeks before Easter Sunday.

In addition, today is National Margarita Day, giving you the perfect excuse to indulge in a delicious drink.

It's also National Walk the Dog Day, so take your furry friend out for some exercise and they'll thank you for it.

You can celebrate one, all, or none of these events, but let's dive into some good things happening in the world!

Quote of the Day 🗣

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

— Maya Angelou

Dutch Woman Breaks 41-Year-Old Track and Field World Record 🥇

via Olaf Kraak/ANP/AFP/Getty Images

Dutch athlete Femke Bol has broken a 41-year-old world record for women's track and field by completing the 400-meter sprint in 49.26 seconds. She beat Jarmila Kratochvílová’s previous record of 49.59 seconds set in 1982, in front of a home crowd at the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn.

Bol, who also set a world record for the best indoor 500-meter of 1:05.63 in Boston in her first race of the season, attributed her success to the crowd's energy. She said, "It was because of all the fans here that I ran this record. When I crossed the line, I knew that the record was mine because of the noise that the crowd made." Bol won a bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the last Summer Olympics.

Heinz Searches for Man Who Survived 24 Days At Sea with Only Ketchup 🥫

Heinz is on a mission to find a man who survived for 24 days at sea with nothing but ketchup and seasonings, in order to buy him a new boat. However, the company has been unable to locate him. The man, Elvis Francois, was working on his boat in St. Maarten in December when he accidentally drifted out to sea. He was eventually rescued by the Colombian Navy, after 24 days with only a bottle of ketchup, garlic powder, and Maggi soup.

Heinz hopes to gift him a new boat equipped with full navigational technology to avoid any future disasters. The company has reached out to the government of Dominica, where Francois lives, as well as the Colombian Navy, but has had no success in finding him… yet!

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Inspiring Stories 💫

💪 Stroke survivor moves hand for first time in 9 years

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University have successfully used spinal cord stimulation to restore some hand and arm mobility to a stroke survivor who had been partially paralyzed on her left side for 9 years. The stimulation involves implanting a pair of thin metal electrodes along the neck to engage nerve cells that are still intact and the benefits have been shown to last up to four weeks after the stimulation has stopped, with no serious side effects.

✍️ Reformed gang member helps those in similar situation

A former gang member founded a publishing company to provide opportunities for others who have been in similar situations. Stanley James II began writing poetry and short stories while in prison for drug charges, which eventually led to the publication of his first book "The Bust." He now hopes to use his company to help others escape from the gang lifestyle, as well as to teach authors what rights they are signing away when working with publishing companies.

🐈‍⬛ A fat cat becomes top-rated tourist attraction

A cat named Gacek has become the top-rated tourist attraction in the Polish city of Szczecin, beating out other hotspots with a perfect 5-star rating on Google Maps. Gacek, who lives in a wooden box on Kaszubska Street, has drawn visitors from neighboring countries.

Links That Will Make You Smile 😊