By Gloria Amoh
Failatu Abdul Razak, widely known as Chef Faila, who just concluded the record-breaking cooking attempt, says it was a dream come true.
She mentioned that, before the cooking marathon, she had always been that young Northern girl looking up to doing something great for her community.
“Priority was to put the North on the map and out Ghana also on the map. So I was focused on my talents and skills while educating myself till this far, and I am glad my life has allowed these dreams to come true.”
“The motivation was myself to reach these dreams and will be in a healthy shape, good shape, and a wonderful state to be able to manifest them.”
Chef Faila revealed this in an interview on GTV’s breakfast show.
Touching on overcoming some challenges that came from the North, she stated that the lessons in life had been her motivation.
According to her, the most emotional moment she experienced during her cook-a-thon was that it wasn’t a one-time thing to have been in the kitchen just expecting her own people.
“I saw people from other African countries riding on a cookathon, and I equally picked up certain pieces and put them together as inspiration to embark on it, which I quickly applied to the Guinness World Record. I went through the regular process because I didn’t have money to pay for priorities,” she explained.
Additionally, she acknowledged Northern Commander Brigadier Essien for leading the way for her husband to feel comfortable going ahead with whatever he was doing. She also acknowledged the military for contributing to the security of the program.
Chef Faila also highlighted, “I strongly believe I would have fainted out of excitement from the cook-a-thon.”
She expressed gratitude to prominent personalities, including the President and Vice President, among others, for their support throughout the 10-day cooking marathon.
Chef Failatu also appreciated Chef Eric Malik, her medical team, Kamina Barracks MRS, and Tamale Teaching Hospital for making sure she was on tune with the task.
“I wanted to prove to the world that Northern girls can embark on a national assignment and get support,” she said.
Chef Faila embarked on a 10-day cook-a-thon at the Modern City Hotel in Tamale from January 1, 2024, in an attempt to break the current 119-hour record held by Irish chef Alan Fisher with support from her assistant, Chef Malik Eric.
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