Evette Quoibia, a Liberian-Australian chef and restaurant owner, has added Guinness World Records titleholder to her list of achievements.
According to the official Guinness World Records website, Quobia completed an incredible 140-hour, 11-minute, and 11-second cooking marathon – more than five straight days – beating Alan Fisher (Ireland)’s 119 hr 57 min 16 sec to claim the record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual
Born during Liberia’s civil war, Evette’s family fled to Ivory Coast and Ghana before settling in Australia. Despite a challenging upbringing, she never stopped dreaming big.
“I always dreamed of being great or doing something out of the ordinary. I’m very ambitious; I dream big. But due to the life I had, I feel like I didn’t have the opportunity to do things that permit me to be the person I wanted to be. Until I found out about the Guinness World Records longest cooking marathon,” she said.
With two months of preparation—securing a venue, rallying volunteers, and fundraising for ingredients, Evette was ready.
Her menu celebrated Liberian cuisine, featuring dishes like jollof rice, cassava leaves, and hearty stews, alongside Nigerian, Asian, and Australian-inspired flavours to welcome everyone.
The attempt began strong, but the physical and mental strain soon set in. Contestants are allowed only one 20-minute break every four hours**, and Evette struggled with exhaustion.
“Unfortunately, it was a really difficult time for me,” said Evette. “I just had to keep pushing myself mentally, because I was targeting something, and I had to remember that.”
Support from her community, family, and church fueled her determination. Crowds cheered her on, and she personally served every dish, ensuring visitors left with takeaway containers full of food.
“There were times when it was really stressful, and there were times when I really enjoyed it,” she said. “For example, the times when there were a lot of people, and people were having fun and cheering me on – I gained my energy from that.
When the record was finally hers, the moment was surreal for her.
“Honestly, I was not in the mental state to know where I was [time-wise]. I just kept going until someone from my church made an announcement and drew my attention to the time and said, ‘Evette, we are actually reaching the time of your record-breaking moment, and we need to celebrate… you have broken your record!’” she said. “And I was extremely excited and very happy.”
Though she knows her record may one day be surpassed, Evette hopes her story inspires others.
ID/KA
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