PA Man Attempts World Record to Build Tanzanian School

Tom Lavella is about to spend eight hours doing one of the hardest exercises known to fitness enthusiasts, and every repetition brings underprivileged Tanzanian children closer to their own school building.

For three years, the St. Marys resident has trained relentlessly, focusing solely on pull-ups and muscle-ups to prepare for his world record attempt. On Saturday, February 21, he'll aim to break the record for most ring muscle-ups completed in eight hours at Physical Industry Training in St. Marys.

But Lavella isn't chasing fame. He's the president of the P.I.T. Foundation (Positively Impacting Tanzania), a nonprofit he founded in 2025 to provide healthcare, education, and safe housing to children thousands of miles away.

"What I found works best is by going and showing how much this means to me by putting in hard work, hard effort by giving people something to watch," Lavella explained. His unconventional fundraising method turns athletic feats into charitable momentum.

Co-founder Mark Matolo, who grew up in Africa, knows firsthand the difference organizations like P.I.T. make. "They actually don't know what would've happened if an organization such as P.I.T. would not have stepped in and supported the children, especially with their education," he said.

The foundation has already connected sponsors with individual children. Now they're tackling something bigger: constructing a primary school that will serve about 500 students.

The Ripple Effect

The children in Tanzania get to watch Lavella's attempts via livestream, seeing someone halfway around the world push his physical limits for their education. It's a powerful message about what they're worth to people they've never met.

"Education means the world to them, and they know what we're trying to do, and they love it," Lavella said. Back in 2023, he completed 2,000 pull-ups in five hours at the Bavarian Festival in Elk County, proving his commitment and ability to deliver.

By early 2027, Lavella expects the new school to open its doors. Five hundred students will have access to quality education in a safe building, all because one man decided to turn his fitness passion into purpose.

Matolo summed up the foundation's philosophy simply: "Once you give, it might not mean much to you, but to them it might change everything." The public is invited to attend Saturday's world record attempt from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., where they can witness dedication in action and contribute to a future being built one muscle-up at a time.