“Endurance Specialist”

Cultural Context: The term used by Fox News to describe the “occupation” of David Blaine, who broke the Guinness World Record for holding his breath (17 minutes, 4 seconds) –– a feat which he accomplished on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on April 30th (read the story here)

Hmmm…

Endurance Specialist?  I had no idea this was a bona fide area of expertise.  I mean, once upon a time one might have described the man as a “magician,” “stunt man,” or even “carnival side show.”  Mr. Blaine (or Fox News) has certainly raised the bar on that pursuit.  And, as one of my designer co-workers brought it to my attention (a rare forray into discussions other than sports headlines), a few questions came to mind:

How is that possible?  We’re talking not breathing for over 17 minutes.  If we weren’t on camera, we’d be in the emergency room!
Is this a side job or full-time?
Does Mr. Blaine have sponsorships?
If so, who are these companies/brands? 
Does Mr. Blaine have a trainer?
If so, what does that guy’s resume look like?
What put this pursuit on Mrs. Winfrey’s radar?
What’s the motivation for continually bringing yourself to the point of death and back again (see Mr. Blaine’s training methods)?
What is our fascination with watching this type of pursuit – be it in an 8 foot sphere of water or in a glass box over the River Thames?

Curious.