Outside Edge (07/03/10)

Congratulations to 'Blue Peter' presenter Helen Skelton on becoming the first woman to paddle the 2,010-mile trip down the Amazon in a kayak – having never been in one before. She also broke records for the longest solo journey in a kayak, and the furthest distance paddled by a woman in 24 hours (75 miles) – all in aid of Sport Relief. Meanwhile good luck to Medwyn Williams of Anglesey, 67, who will try to sail to the Isle of Man in a 1,600lb pumpkin, complete with outboard motor, to raise money for Help the Heroes. But he seems utterly sane next to Miles Daisher of Idaho, who has pioneered "skyaking", sky-diving in a kayak on to water at 50mph from 13,000ft. He's really up chute creek.

19:21

The time in minutes and seconds that Swiss freediver Peter Colat held his breath underwater, breaking the Guinness world record for oxygen-assisted static apnea by 19sec. It's probably not a time that you want to keep trying to beat.

Howls of outrage of the week

The good denizens of Kensington have won a High Court order to stop the return of boxing at the Albert Hall for fear that it would attract "anti-social elements". And the inhabitants of London Zoo – or their keepers – thwarted plans for a fanzone in neighbouring Regent's Park which would have shown World Cup matches this summer for fear of disturbing the animals. So the Three Lions won't be roaring England on. If you tend to get a bit too excited at football matches, it's best not to go to Serbia to watch one. In a study of the number of defibrillators available at 187 stadiums across Europe in case of heart attacks, it was found to have none. No (cardiac) arrests were made.

Good week for

Seth Enslow, Californian stuntman broke the record for the longest jump on a Harley Davidson motorcycle twice in an hour at Sydney Harbour, reaching 183.7ft after the photographers had missed his first jump... Ernie Els, golfer who is setting up a £20m autism centre in Florida will receive special award for his charity work... and Colchester archaeologists, have raised £200,000 to buy the site of an ancient Roman chariot-racing track.

Bad week for

John Daly, golfer, left fuming after the 'Florida Times-Union' newspaper revealed his 456-page PGA disciplinary file... Mark Chapman, of Long Lawford FC in Rugby, the first footballer to be jailed – for six months – for a horror tackle... and Richard Mantell, broke his ankle as England won their third successive game at the hockey World Cup.

Divine intervention of the week

It always helps if you've got God on your side, and Italian football's governing body are certainly paying lip service to this notion. Mimmo Di Carlo received a touchline ban after the Verona coach "proferred a blasphemous expression" in last Sunday's Serie A match against Chievo, as part of a zero-tolerance crackdown on taking God's name in vain. But Oliver Wiedermann, a defender with Belgian amateur side TSV Grunback, might be excused for shaking his fists at the sky after a goal-kick he took against TSV Wimshein in a howling gale was swept back by the wind, bouncing over his goalkeeper's head into the net. You can see it at tinyurl.com/yfatp67. Enough to bring a man to his knees.

a.tong@independent.co.uk