Varya Akulova - The 'STRONGEST GIRL In The World'

Varya Akulova (born 1992), is a name most never heard of yet she's the female referred to as "The Strongest Girl In The World", who holds two Guinness records and was capable of lifting over four times her own body weight in 2006.

In 2000, she weighed 40 kg and could lift 220 pounds (100 kg). She has been in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Akulova, while living with her parents, Yuriy Akulov and Larisa Akulova, in Kryvyi Rih, performed in an acrobatic act with them in a circus.

Her father Uri, who says that by the age of 12 his daughter was stronger then him, thinks his side of the family have a rare strength gene that few others have.

Varya's great-grandfather managed the astonishing feat of carrying 2,600lbs (1,200kg) on his back in 1910 and her mother Larisa is also stronger than most women.

Born in the Ukrainian mining town of Krivoy Rog,

Varya Akulova showed remarkable physical abilities from a very young age. When she was just one year old, Varya could do a handstand, at one and a half she did flips, at three years of age she started performing acrobatic routines with her parents, and by age four she was already doing power lifting exercises with massive weights. When Varya’s mother, Larisa, became pregnant, her father, Yuri, started making plans about performing in the circus with his yet-unborn strong son, but when his wife gave birth to a girl, he knew his dreams would never materialize. But as the days went by, Yuri began to realize that with the right training, his daughter could become as strong as a man.

The girl had stronger arms and legs than most babies her age, and soon he became certain Varya had inherited the Akulovs’ legendary strength. Historically, his ancestors served at the court of Catherine II and became known for their amazing abilities and toughness during the Russian – Turkish wars. And as the years passed, it became clear Varya was truly an Akulov, able to lift massive weights when other girls her age were busy playing with dolls.

Although Yuri’s training methods sparked concerns about Varya’s normal growth and bone development, the doctors who performed a series of tests when she was five years old found she was in great physical shape and had an increased immunity.

Microcephaly (+ Notable Cases)

Kokuvi, a seventeen-year-old student at the Volta School for the Mentally Challenged who has microcephaly Allison Stillwell

Microphallus is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the circumference of the head is more than two standard deviations smaller than average for the person's age and sex. Microcephaly may be congenital or it may develop in the first few years of life. The disorder may stem from a wide variety of conditions that cause abnormal growth of the brain, or from syndromes associated with chromosomal abnormalities. Two copies of a loss-of-function mutation in one of the microcephalin genes causes primary microcephaly.

In general, life expectancy for individuals with microcephaly is reduced and the prognosis for normal brain function is poor. The prognosis varies depending on the presence of associated abnormalities.
Microcephaly is a type of cephalic disorder. This is a disorder characterized by a small head and may be caused by a disturbance in the rapid growing of nerve cells. Microcephaly may also be associated with maternal problems such as alcoholism (which can result in the fetal alcohol syndrome disability), diabetes, or rubella (German measles). After the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a large percentage of women who had been pregnant at the time gave birth to children with microcephaly.A genetic factor may play a role in causing some cases of microcephaly. Affected newborns generally have striking neurological defects and seizures. Severely impaired intellectual development is common, but disturbances in motor functions may not appear until later in life.

Infants with microcephaly are born with either a normal or reduced head size. Subsequently the head fails to grow while the face continues to develop at a normal rate, producing a child with a small head and a receding forehead, and a loose, often wrinkled scalp. As the child grows older, the smallness of the skull becomes more obvious, although the entire body also is often underweight and dwarfed. Development of motor functions and speech may be delayed. Hyperactivity and mental retardation are common occurrences, although the degree of each varies. Convulsions may also occur. Motor ability varies, ranging from clumsiness in some to spastic quadriplegia in others.

Side-view illustration of a baby with microcephaly (left) compared to a baby with a typical head size

Generally there is no specific treatment for microcephaly. Treatment is symptomatic and supportive.

The Acámbaro FIGURES of Mexico

By Fchavez2000 - Own work, GFDL, wikimedia

In 1944, German entrepreneur Waldemar Julsrud found a clay figure near the banks of Cerro del Toro in Acámbaro, Guanjato, Mexico. No stranger to the area, Julsrud had contributed to the discovery of Chupicuaro culture in 1923. Yet as he continued to find similar figures, Julsrud began to wonder whether they corresponded to the same ancient people he helped discover more than 20 years before.

According to Julsrud, a more in-depth search revealed that similar figures were quite plentiful so he employed assistants (mostly local farmers) to help him collect the artifacts. Julsrud told him he would pay 1 peso (12 cents) for every piece found and soon gathered an impressive collection. In a short time, the entrepreneur’s rare assortment grew to an envious size—about 32-37,000 figures.

The TEENAGE GIRL who Spends Life in a BOWL

Rahma Haruna | Source

Due to a mysterious condition that causes her arms and legs to stop developing properly, a teenage girl lives her life in a plastic bowl.

But despite being virtually limbless and in constant pain, Rahma Haruna is a bright and happy girl.

The cause of Rahma's condition is unknown, despite her family working hard to find one.

Rahma's father, Hussaini, said: "I've spent 15 years searching for the cure. I farm, go to the market and lots more looking for money to pay for her bills.

Rahma being helped by her loving family | Barcroft

"I sold almost everything in my possession. I have spent more than one million naira (£2,600), so far. Only God knows the real amount of what I had spent."

Rahma's family hope to get the attention of a charity or medical specialist who can help with the teen's daily pain.

The IRON PILLAR of Delhi

The Iron pillar stands within the courtyard of Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque | Wikipedia

The iron pillar of Delhi, India is a 7 meter (22 feet) high pillar next to the Qutub Minar. The pillar was apparently erected at the time of Chandragupta II and is a curiosity because of the composition of the metals used in its construction.

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The pillar—almost seven meters (22 feet) high and weighing more than six tons - was allegedly erected at the time of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375–413), though other authorities give dates as early as 912 BCE. It is the only remaining piece of a Hindu and Jain temple complex which stood there from the ruins of the temple. The temple is assumed to be destroyed by Qutb-ud-din Aybak who built the Qutub Minar and Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque around it. The pillar and ruins of the temple stand as still preserved and were not taken in consideration to be demolished by him.
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The pillar is 98% wrought iron of pure quality, and is a testament to the high level of skill achieved by ancient Indian ironsmiths. It has attracted the attention of both archaeologists and metallurgists, as it has withstood corrosion for 1600 years, despite harsh weather.​

The KLERKSDORP Spheres of South Africa

The Klerksdorp Spheres are fascinating artifacts discovered in a mine in the Western Transvaal region in Ottosdal, South Africa decades ago and are a mystery since no one really knows the reason for their existence - or even who created them... if they were created by someone. Are they man-made - or naturally processed? These spheres appear to be way too advanced for their time and as a result, has caused much controversy. 

According to Michael Cremo and other researchers of prehistoric culture, these spheres add to mounting evidence suggesting man-kind may be waaaaaaay older than we think! A civilization that existed billions of years ago. But that's assuming these spheres were man-made...

Cremo, who has traveled the world gathering information on out-of-place artefacts (ooparts), compiled his findings in the popular book, "The Hidden History of the Human Race (The Condensed Edition of Forbidden Archeology)."

According to Cremo, Roelf Marx, curator of the museum of Klerksdorp, South Africa, where some of the spheres are housed, said: 'The spheres are a complete mystery. They look man-made, yet at the time in Earth's history when they came to rest in this rock no intelligent life existed. They're nothing like I have ever seen before.'

Marx further stated:
'There is nothing scientific published about the globes, but the facts are: They are found in pyrophyllite, which is mined near the little town of Ottosdal in the Western Transvaal. This pyrophyllite (Al2Si4O10(OH)2) is a quite soft secondary mineral with a count of only 3 on the Mohs' scale and was formed by sedimentation about 2.8 billion years ago. On the other hand the globes, which have a fibrous structure on the inside with a shell around it, are very hard and cannot be scratched, even by steel.'

The Mohs' scale of hardness is named after Friedrich Mohs, who chose ten minerals as references points for comparative hardness, with talc the softest and diamond the hardest.