It is the stuff of children’s dreams: to be the best in the world at something.
Anything would have sufficed – breath holding, cubby staying, soft toy collecting, trampoline jumping – and the ultimate was to make it into the Guinness World Records books.
The 70th annual edition was recently released, meaning more than three generations of dreamers have pored over the details of often-ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
As a child in the 1970s, my brother and I fought over my family’s hardcover copy. My son wore out the spine of his yearbook in the 1990s.
And now that our grandson is six and can read, the latest edition is his to devour.
We were all transfixed by the tallest and shortest humans, the oldest person, the longest head of hair or biggest benign tumour. Images of the world’s longest fingernails being measured are seared in my memory.
And now there is a new crop of record breakers.
Latin music artist Bad Bunny scored his 11th Guinness World Record last year when his album became the most streamed on Spotify ever, beating the efforts of gal favourites Beyonce and Tay-Tay Swift.
He already had the record for most weeks at No.1 in Billboard’s Top Latin American chart at 41 weeks. And he is only 31.
Swedish stuntman Magnus Carlsson was officially recognised this month for two new records: fastest handlebar-mounted wheelie; and the longest distance riding backwards on a motorcycle.
Sydney surfer Blake Johnston, 40, broke the record for the longest surf in 2023, catching 700 waves in 40 hours at Cronulla.
Indian lad Lalit Patidar made history for breaking the record for the world’s hairiest face on a man. The 18-year-old has werewolf syndrome and 95 per cent of his face is fuzz covered.
Now Melbourne woman Sruthy Saseendran has been officially recognised for setting a record for the most airports identified in 60 seconds by their AITA code (95, if you are curious).
The woman, 33, said she was driven by wanting to challenge herself and leave a legacy.
She spent hours studying and memorising the world’s 17,000 airport codes after suggesting the new record.
Almost anyone can be world leading, even for something so seemingly ordinary.
Don’t we all harbour a life goal to be remembered for being officially amazing?
Dr Jane Stephens is a UniSC journalism lecturer, media commentator and writer.
