A HANDFUL of Aussies, including Armidale’s arrow-catching martial artist Anthony Kelly, have smashed their way into history on Guinness World Record Day.
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Australia’s highest record-holder, Mr Kelly has added yet another string to his bow, breaking the record for the fastest tennis ball caught, at the lightning speed of 192.9km/h.
Often referred to as a ninja, Mr Kelly is renowned for his fast reflexes, in particular his ability to catch fast-moving items. He holds the world record for most arrows caught in two minutes, blindfolded.
Last year on Guinness World Record Day, Mr Kelly succeeded in his attempt to break the record for the most spears shot out of a spear gun and caught underwater in one minute.
After three attempts, where he caught eight from eight in two rounds, then 10 from 10, he smashed the world record by three.
Mr Kelly was just part of the global record-smashing attempt, along with fellow martial arts guru Glenn Coxon, who smashed his way through 338 wooden boards in one minute.
While he didn’t break his previous record of 359 boards, set in 2005, the Sydney area resident retains his record-holder status as he created the original record.
Record-breaking is in the family, as Mr Coxon’s daughter Summerly, 27, broke the record for the most wooden boards broken in one minute by a female. She broke a whopping 215, beating the record of 161 boards.
The feat was a personal triumph for the family, as just last year Mr Coxon was diagnosed with advanced and aggressive cancer in his neck and shoulder.
After surgery and radiation, he’s beaten the odds and is determined to give back to those who saved him from becoming another statistic, particularly the team from the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Cancer Hospital at RPA.
While these three record-breaking attempts were happening at Sydney Olympic Park yesterday, Perth-based HoopFit coach Bree Kirk-Burnnand attempted to set a new world record for most hula hoops spun simultaneously by an individual. The Guinness World Record is 162 hoops at one time and was only recently set.
A skateboard-riding dog in Peru aimed to pass through the longest human tunnel, and a Japanese man sabered as many champagne bottles as he could in 30 seconds. In the UK, the Poms attempted the largest gathering of people dressed as penguins, while the Chinese aimed to create the world’s largest lipstick sculpture.
