World record swinging attempt: What Napier teen's like after nine hours in motion

It's 2pm on Wednesday and 16-year-old Charlie O'Brien has been on a swing at Taradale Park for eight hours - but he's feeling good.

The motion sickness has gone, his legs have stopped aching and he's had another hot-chocolate confiscated because it upsets his stomach, according to friend and organiser Kate Shellard.

The Taradale High School student is determined to prove a point and break a Guinness World Record - by swinging on a Napier park swing for 40 hours in a row.

"He's been swarmed with people ever since this morning, he's become somewhat of a local celebrity - people have been bringing him food, wanting to take photos and all sorts of things," Shellard said.

"He's not feeling tired at all and all the support seems to have given him that extra boost to break the record."

O'Brien said the process isn't as simple as just sitting on a swing and going for it - there's a lot of preparation involved.

Charlie O'Brien wants some support, and some gingernut biscuits. Photo / Warren Buckland

"We need four people here at all times to witness what I'm doing and officially record it. There's a lot of messy rules we have to follow as well."

In order for the teen to complete the record successfully, there has to be two witnesses and two timekeepers who all keep an eye on O'Brien's progress.

So of all the things to choose, why a swing?

"I was just sitting on a swing with my friend one day and I just said 'I'm going to go for the swing world record - it just popped into my mind'."

The current record for the longest swing currently is 32 hours, but O'Brien says he wants to "smash it".

Charlie O'Brien is two hours into an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous swinging, at Napier's Taradale Park. Photo / Warren Buckland

Thankfully, he's not stuck on the swing for the full 40 hours and is allowed a five-minute break every hour for food or bathroom breaks.

"I'm starting to feel a little bit sea sick from swinging for a few hours, but we've got sea sickness tablets and things like that - some gingernut biscuits might be good."

Shellard organised the timetable for the record - a process that wasn't easy.

"We need about 20 people here to help us out because everyone has to do four-hour shifts where we just have to sit and watch him.

"There's so many specific rules - like you have to have the whole thing filmed, we have to light him up at night so people can see him.

"Charlie will officially break the record if he can carry on until 2pm on Thursday, but he'll finish at about 10pm if he wants to hit the 40-hour mark."

While Hawke's Bay Today was chatting with him on Wednesday morning, Charlie's parents arrived and passed him a small bag of McDonald's breakfast.

He clumsily attempted to eat it while trying to keep the swing in motion, all while his friends shouted in support.

He started his bizarre challenge on a chilly autumn morning, and, if he's still there, it promised to be a chilly night ahead.