Don’t be fooled by the boards that Shaolin monk Shi Liliang seems to be running along. While they are certainly there, and providing a small level of support, Shi Liliang is barely touching them and essentially running across the water. This is a stunt he’s been practicing for 10 years, having started at a 50-meter dash and building up to his record of 125 meters.

What’s happening is a series of rapid, light steps that make it appear that Shi Liliang is running across the top of the water. The boards provide more traction than support, and he uses the strength in his toes to carry him. And thanks to his incredible focus and practiced concentration, the momentum carries him the full 125 meters in 50 seconds, beating his previous personal best distance of 118 meters last year.

The stunts have brought Shi Liliang a lot of acclaim and crowds; but since he’s a monk, he’s using the attention to raise tuition money for poor students in his town of Quanzhou.

The important part of this isn’t the stunt itself — it’s the persistence. Shi Liliang failed five times before achieving this stunt, which took him ten years to accomplish. Remember that the next time you quit after 10 pushups.

Source: The Spirit Science