With more than two laps to go around McLeod Athletic Park鈥檚 quarter mile track last Wednesday evening, Wes Barker already had an inkling that his attempt at breaking a Guinness World Record was on shaky ground.

The balance of his load 鈥� his longtime friend Kevin Kokoska 鈥� was off just enough to prevent Barker from getting his name in the famous book for the fastest one-mile fireman carry.

鈥淎t two and a half laps, I was so off balance, I almost put him down,鈥� said Barker.

With a crowd cheering him on, he persisted, but as the finish line approached, it all became too much for him to handle.

鈥淚 carried him almost 14 minutes; I just couldn鈥檛 hold him any longer.鈥�

With just 200 metres to go, Barker set the 6鈥�5鈥� Kokoska on the ground and reluctantly admitted defeat.

鈥淭here were a lot of people there and it was a lot louder than we thought it would be,鈥� he said, explaining that he鈥檇 had difficulty hearing the shouts from the timer marking his progress.

But Barker鈥檚 not blaming the noise of the crowd for tripping him up.

鈥淚 think having that many people wasn鈥檛 really an issue 鈥� I think I might have got myself too worked up,鈥� he said.

鈥淧ractice is easier, because it鈥檚 quieter and I鈥檓 not overly hyped up. And in practice I can take as many tries as I want.鈥�

Speaking the following morning about his narrowly failed attempt, Barker acknowledged he was a little afraid to watch the video of his effort.

鈥淚t was just this slow crumble,鈥� said the 25-year-old professional magician and D.W. Poppy grad.

A former university basketball player who worked for two years as a forestry firefighter, Barker had to drop from 220 to 195 pounds to match Kokoska鈥檚 weight. Guinness Record rules state that the person being carried must weigh at least as much as the person who is attempting the record.

So he upped his cardio training, hit the weight room and practised carrying his buddy until he felt ready to make an official attempt.

Barker estimated that about 200 people were at the track next to 91原创 Secondary School on Wednesday evening to cheer him on as he went after the existing record of 15 minutes and 11 seconds.

Some were folks he knew, who鈥檇 learned about the attempt from his announcement on Facebook, others just happened to be at the park.

鈥淧eople were coming up to me that I鈥檇 never met, and saying how cool it was,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 even for a cause 鈥� just some goofball trying to break a world record.鈥�

Barker checked out a few of the existing Guinness records before deciding on the fireman carry.

鈥淭here are a lot of strange ones, like the most cucumbers snapped in half in a minute,鈥� he said with a chuckle.

(That鈥檚 75, by the way).

But he wanted to try something a bit 鈥渟tunt-y and physical.鈥�

Wednesday鈥檚 attempt was Barker鈥檚 first, but by no means his last shot at the record.

鈥淚 put in six months of effort. I have to try again,鈥� he said, adding he鈥檒l take at at least another month to recover and prepare.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the most pain I鈥檝e ever been in,鈥� he said.

Barker also gives a lot of credit to Kokoska who, three days earlier, had completed a gruelling 12-and-a-half hour Iron Man triathlon.

To then allow someone to carry him, slung over their shoulder, for 14 minutes is no small thing, Barker said.

鈥淵ou should see the bruises he gets.鈥�

Still, Kokoska is game to give it another try.

鈥淗e said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 want you to, but I鈥檒l let you.鈥欌��

There are a few things Barker plans to do differently on his second attempt. For example, he鈥檇 like to have the time put up on the score clock so he can monitor his progress; he鈥檒l make sure he鈥檚 more focused and, in the meantime, he鈥檒l continue to work on building his strength and endurance.

鈥淣ext time, he said, 鈥渢here will be nothing stopping me.鈥�

Video online at langleytimes.com.