SMARTER FOR 10
MEET THE RECORD BREAKERS. MARION McMULLEN LOOKS AT THE NEW GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS SUPERSTARS
1 READY FOR RECORD BREAKERS?
THE new Guinness World Records 2018 book is out now priced £20 and unveils extraordinary feats from record holders across the globe. The 63rd edition of the bestselling annual is filled with the biggest, the tallest, the fastest and the most extraordinary record breaking triumphs.
2 WHO HAS NAILED IT?
NAIL artist Ayanna Williams claims the title for the longest female nails. The 60-year-old from Texas was inspired to grow her fingernails nearly 23 years ago and they now reach an incredible 18ft 10.9 ins. To take care of her nails, Ayanna stays away from washing the dishes and uses anti-bacterial soap and a nail brush to clean them daily. She says she doesn’t come across too much difficulty doing everyday tasks... except pulling up her trousers.
3 WHO IS THE CAT’S MEOW?
SILVER Maine Coon cat Cygnus, of Michigan, has swung his tail into the record books. It reaches 17.58 inches and his brother, Arcuturus Aldeberan, holds the title for the tallest living domestic cat standing at 19.05 inches.
4 IS IT READY, TEDDY, GO?
JACKIE MILLEY of South Dakota had just one bear in 2000. It has now been joined by 8,025 others making the 69-year-old the owner of the world’s largest collection of teddy bears. They come from 29 different countries and every US state.
5 NOT SO DINKY?
JOHN and Geof Bitmead, of Ambrosden in the UK, own the largest Cozy Coupe. They run Attitude Autos and built the coupe after chatting with an associate of the automotive shop about a car he had built for his own son. Their creation, dubbed Toytown Coupe, is 8ft 10.2 ins long.
6 WHO IS SPLITTING HAIRS?
BENNY HARLEM, of Los Angeles, is reaching new heights with his hair. His current hair style is a record-breaking 20.5 inch tall high top fade. The 25-year-old says that styling his hair into shape can take upwards of two hours.
7 DO YOU WORK OUT?
JIM ARRINGTON has lifted his way into the record books as the world’s oldest bodybuilder. The 85-year-old was nicknamed Skinnybones at a young age, but the great-grandfather from Venice, California, has now been bodybuilding for the last 70 years and has taken part in 62 competitions over the years. He says he has no plans to put the weights down just yet.
8 WHO IS LASHING OUT?
YOU JIANXIA from China holds the title for the longest eyelash. Grown on her upper left eyelid, the eyelash measures an impressive 4.88 inches long. She first noticed her eyelash growing during an 18 month nature retreat she embarked on in 2013.
9 CAN YOU GET A SIGNAL?
NEIL HARBISSON is the first person in the world to have an antenna implant. The British-born artist describes himself as a cyborg activist and the antenna’s internet connection allows him to receive colours from space as well as images, videos, music or phone calls directly into his head via external devices such as mobile phones or satellites.
10 WHO IS AS KEEN AS MUSTARD?
GERMANY’S Andre Ortolf lives to break records. The 22-year-old’s recent triumphs include the most tubes of mustard drunk in 30 seconds, the most champagne corks popped in one minute (12) and the most Marmite eaten in one minute (252 grams).