Editors Note: A photo for this release is available on the Canadian Press picture wire via Marketwired.

Today, the YMCA GTA broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest exercise ball demonstration/class. With determination and grit, 454 community members lunged and stepped to the beat for a 30-minute class at the Toronto Central YMCA, where their sweat powered the forces of good.

Celebrity fitness trainer Eva Redpath led the 30-minute exercise ball routine with support from the YMCA's Sherry Perez. This record-breaking event was hosted to launch the YMCA GTA's "Sweat For Good" campaign into the spotlight, and immerse both members and the public in the YMCA experience that connects everyone to a larger purpose. At the Y, members not only sweat for themselves; they sweat for others, for positive change, and for the community.

"I am honoured to be a part of this incredible team and this record-breaking event," said Medhat Mahdy, President and CEO of YMCA GTA. "When you choose the YMCA, you are choosing to be part of an organization that seeks to build the foundation for a healthy, vibrant future for every individual in our community, and our society as a whole. In a nutshell, we're a gym - and a whole lot more."

Here are the five important factors that set YMCA Health & Fitness Centres apart:

• Their broad offering: They offer diverse programs for every interest and stage of life.
• They create a sense of belonging: They bring people together, nurture their growth, and promote inclusivity.
• Their people-first culture: Their dedicated and expert team of staff and volunteers proactively supports members' health goals; removes barriers to achieving those goals; and believes that everyone has the ability to continually improve.
• They are committed to doing local good: They address community-specific needs and invest in building permanent facilities in communities across the GTA.
• They are a charitable organization: Their gyms are part of a much larger charitable organization that provides programs and services that make people strong in all sorts of ways - physically, of course, but also mentally and socially.

For GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS adjudicator Christina Conlon, judging this world record-breaking event was both exhilarating and inspiring.

"While in this room, I couldn't help but be caught up by all the excitement around setting a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title," said Conlon. "I'll never tire of that aspect of my job. It was also a joy to see firsthand how many people gathered together to help shine a light on the YMCA GTA and the great work it does for the community."

The YMCA is the largest charitable program and service delivery organization in the GTA. For more than 160 years and through hundreds of programs, the YMCA GTA has been offering individuals opportunities for personal growth, community involvement and leadership.

About the YMCA of Greater Toronto

For well over a century, we've provided leadership and worked with partners solving complex social problems to create real, measurable outcomes that have strengthened the social health and fabric of our communities. As a charity, the YMCA offers a variety of programs responding to the needs of the community, including education and training, employment and immigrant services, family and youth services, health and fitness programs, child care, and camps. The breadth of our programs, and the diversity of the communities we serve, is the basis of our new Sweat For Good campaign: when you break a sweat with us, you're showing your support for all of these programs that give everyone their chance to shine. Serving the population of the GTA, Durham, Peel, York, Halton Region and Dufferin County, the YMCA connected with more than 557,000 people across 438 locations last year.

www.ymcagta.org

http://sweatforgood.ymcagta.org

About Guinness World Records

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ (GWR) is the global authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the iconic annual GWR books have sold over 138 million copies in over 20 languages and in more than 100 countries. Additionally, the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition, first published in 2007, has sold more than 5 million copies to date.

GWR's worldwide television programmes reach over 750 million viewers annually and more than one million people subscribe to the GWR YouTube channel, which enjoys more than 300 million views per year. The GWR website receives 21 million visitors annually, and they have over 12 million fans on Facebook.

The GWR commercial sales division provides bespoke consultancy services for some of the world's top brands and agencies to help place record breaking at the heart of their marketing campaigns, employee-engagement programmes, and live and experiential events.

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