He's done it! Taradale teen beats world record for longest swing

He's done it! Charlie O'Brien breaks the world record for swinging for more than 32 hours on a park swing in Taradale. Photo / Warren Buckland.

Charlie O'Brien has survived on nothing but gingernuts, sea sickness pills, energy drinks and McDonald's chips for the past 32 hours - but at 2.15pm he broke a world record in Taradale Park.

It's the assortment of junk food, wise words from Hilary Barry and support from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, not to mention the crowds who motivated him hours before he broke the world record for swinging on a park swing longer than anyone else in history.

Ardern is currently visiting Hawke's Bay and while the teen was slightly disappointed with her lack of appearance - he didn't take it personally.

With only 20 minutes sleep, the Taradale High School student is hoping to reach an incredible 40 hours in total, which would see him and his kiwifruit cushion staying on the swing until 10pm on Thursday.

"I'm going to try and do it," he says. "My legs are killing me, but I'm feeling good."

He wasn't so certain at 1pm and flopped down on a purple blanket for his five minute break, while a member of his support team massaged his aching legs.

"I feel like I've got knots in my legs and I probably look like a ghost," he said.

Organiser and team support member Kate Shellard had been supporting her friend on and off for 16 hours.

"We're all tired, but we want him to keep going - we don't want him to give up. He's doing so well," she said.

But as the crowds grew, so did the support and the atmosphere of Taradale Park was turned upside down. Music was pumping, horns tooting and so began the New Zealand national anthem for probably the fifth or sixth time that day.

The fatigue began to leave the teenager's face as more people gathered around him, cheering in support as the countdown began - 2.15 struck the clock and he'd done it.

O'Brien's bizarre world record choice has reached corners of the earth, with support coming from Ireland, Scotland and Canada.

"He's certainly putting Taradale on the map," one supporter said.

His team of at least 20 people have been working in four hour shifts, monitoring O'Brien all times as well as being filming him on camera. No one is allowed to push him and he has to keep moving at all times.

Although they're sleepy eyed, they remain positive and offer strong words of encouragement as he pushes on to reach the ultimate goal of 40 hours.