Among the astonishing variety of feats included in this book, some are exceptionally inspiring and surprising. Here are just a few of them.
1 Tommy: The Tallest Ox
Tommy is a 6 foot 10 (just over 2 metres), 1,360kg thirteen-year-old Brown Swiss ox. His story is extremely touching: when he was only two days old, he was rescued by his now owner, Fred Balawender. Balawender bought him for $10 dollars from a dairy farm, saving him from being auctioned, and has taken care of him ever since. Their bond has always been special. What’s more, Tommy is also a social media star, with TikTok videos reaching over fourteen million views.
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2 Simeon Graham: The Most Juggling Catches
This fifteen-year-old from the UK is a record-breaker for the most juggling catches in one minute. When he was only seven, Graham was sent home from school with chickenpox. He decided to use that time to learn how to juggle, using the guidance of YouTube videos. He proved so dedicated to learning the art that his parents found a teacher to help him perfect his craft. After a few years, he started performing in front of audiences, ending up on stage with renowned circus artists. Now, he too successfully teaches juggling on YouTube!
3 The Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Astronauts
In October 2022, 940 people gathered together for a mission organised by the Repton Abu Dhabi school. To commemorate the third anniversary of the arrival of the first United Arab Emirates astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri, at the International Space Station, students, teachers and staff from various school years showed up with astronaut helmets and spacesuits. They crowded into the playground, which turned white and blue, in a record-breaking celebration of a history-making moment.
4 Ginny MacColl: The Oldest Female Ninja Athlete
This seventy-one-year-old woman from Southport, California has been a competitive ninja athlete for just five years. This sport is a form of obstacle course racing. MacColl was inspired by her daughter, a ninja warrior herself, to dedicate herself to the sport aged sixty-six. At that point, she had never worked out or done any serious sport. To keep herself in shape, Lenore trains but also pays great attention to her Mediterranean-style diet. Her story shows that it is never too late to pursue new dreams.
5 Sidakdeep Chahal: The Longest Hair in The World
This teenage boy from India has 146cm of gorgeous hair on his head. He washes it twice a week, which takes over an hour each time, and even needs to have his mother help him out with the process. He has never had a haircut in his life due to his religious beliefs; in Sikhism, religious followers are forbidden from cutting their hair. Initially suffering from mockery, this teenager has come to feel his long hair as a part of himself which he does not want to give up.