Wash-a-thon Complete: Enitan Subair Sets Sights on World Record

Enitan Subair, a student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), who completed a wash-a-thon in the early hours of Monday, is bubbling with excitement over the applause that has greeted her courageous task.

Subair, a 200-level student of Linguistics and African Languages at the first-generation university, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State, is contending for a new world record after completing a 58-hour wash-a-thon by 12:05 AM on Monday, November 27, 2023, surpassing her initial target of 50 hours.

In the new video, recorded a day after her feat, Subair appeared in high spirits, flashing a toothy smile to her supporters. She was seen at the OAU premises in a casually formal outfit of a polo shirt and jeans, looking healthy and excited. However, she expressed concerns about negative news suggesting that she was hospitalized.

Contrary to news reports in a segment of the media, the video showed that Subair’s hands were normal and unaffected by the challenge of her prospective record-breaking 58-hour handwashing.

Good day people, first of all thank you to everybody who checked up, thank you to everybody who reached out

Subair, making her trademark sign and gesticulating with her hands with no sign of hurt or soreness, started about her state of health and mood, saying

I’m not sick, there was never a point I got hospitalised, there was no point I was admitted or rush to the hospital, there is nothing wrong with me, I have just been home expecting the will of God to happen, there is nothing wrong with me.

She debunked the negative news from the misinterpretation of her procedural check-up at the clinic immediately after completing her task, expressing worries that such misinterpretation did not represent her state of affairs.

I cannot even wait to start classes, and I’m going to start that immediately, I have not started classes because of the several interviews and all, not that maybe I’m sick, Subair said.

She said she decided to debunk the misinterpretation because it was feeding a negative perception in some quarters while expressing appreciation to all her supporters.

I’m very fine, this video is just to debunk the news. Thank you so much to everybody, Subair said

The Student Union President of OAU, Abbas Akinremi, who was with Subair at the point of completing her prospective record-breaking feat, stated that the authorities insisted she, as a student ambassador of the first-generation university, should follow the normal procedure of a medical check-up to ascertain her fitness and well-being after her uphill task. According to him, when Subair concluded the wash-a-thon in the early hours of Monday, they insisted on taking her to the university clinic.

We took her to the university clinic; that’s the standard procedure after such a task, and we uphold strict standards in everything we do,Akinremi said.

The management of the school led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Abayomi Daramola had on Sunday, November 26, 2023, paid Subair a solidarity visit, to further reassure her of the entire university community’s support as she entered the final lap of her historic feat.

Photographs posted on the X handle of the wash-a-thon, OAUWashathon, @oau_washathon, posted on the evening of Monday, November 27, 2023, the day Subair completed her prospective record-breaking feat, showed her with a toothy smile in a lone picture and in another group picture with her family members.

The X post, captioned ‘What success looks like. Enitan and family after the wash-a-thon,’ vividly depicted the pictures, likely taken in the afternoon of that day, with bright sunlight in the background of the residential compound. X users were full of praise for Subair,

Akinyode Oyewusi, @IreYode, Deputy Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, wrote,

I celebrate your determination, decision, and discipline to scale through this hurdle and make this a reality. Having completed this task and as we await the official response from the Guinness Book of Records, I want to charge you to channel your zeal into contributing your quota to the development of our society. Indeed, another Great IFE is a counterfeit! Once again, Congratulations, Enitan!

Chisom Nwankwo, @somiii_v, raised a champagne, saying, “Congratulations.” Richard, @Richard_ode22, said, “More wins, congratulations.” Miracle, @okorie_mi, posted, “Congratulations big time… I really commend your energy… E for energy.”

Subair, who began the attempt on November 24, 2023 at the Sub Car Park inside the school campus, at the end said she was motivated by overwhelming supports to see herself through the task.

I felt I should give up several times, especially when I was pressed, I was like can I go through this thing? That my mum and my friends are in this crowd, I feel very fulfilled to complete this task right in front of her, Subair said.

When asked about her motivations and ability to complete the task at the outset, Subair had sighted her intrinsic nature, life lessons, family and general support, and Grace of God.

My background, the lessons life taught me have been motivating me to embark on this wash-a-thon. My experience is unexplainable, but it taught me to be selfless.

I am confident that I will reach the set goal of 50 hours of hand wash and by God’s grace I will emerge victorious.

Despite the massive support from my colleagues here, I pray for the grace of God to be able to complete the task. My parents are very supportive and I urge Nigerians to rally round me while I work towards completing the task, Subair added.

It is believed that, in June of this year, a student from OAU notified the prestigious British reference book of her intentions.

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