The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Octogenarian acrobat and DJ among record-breakers
Betty Goedhart, 85, becomes oldest female flying trapeze artist, while Sumiko Iwamura, 83, is the oldest behind the decks
Life begins at 80 for two of this year’s Guinness World Record holders, who have excelled at DJing and acrobatics.
The octogenarians join a host of achievers in the latest catalogue of extreme feats.
Betty Goedhart, 85, soared to the top of the list to become the oldest performing female flying trapeze artist.
Ms Goedhart from California proved it is never too late, having taken up classes aged 78.
Chef-turned-DJ Sumiko Iwamura, 83, offered sage advice after being named the oldest professional club DJ.
The restaurant owner from Tokyo, who spins the decks for crowds after finishing her shift as a cook, said: “Try something and don’t give up... there are opportunities lying around every corner.”
Ms Iwamura, who could be forgiven for feeling too tired to take on her slot as DJ Sumirock after working all day, said: “Doing something totally different is energising.”
Canine companions also made their presence felt, skipping and jumping their way into the record books.
Feather and Geronimo surprised owner Samantha Valle, 31, from Maryland in the US, by showing off their unusual skills after she rescued them.
The athletic animals have since achieved records for the highest jump by a dog, at 191.7cm, and the most Double Dutch-style skips by a dog in a minute – 128.
Speedy butcher Barry John Crowe, 28, from Co Cavan in Ireland, made 78 sausages in a minute, while artist Elizabeth Bond, known as Betsy and aged 31 from Wiltshire, created the largest knitting needles at 4.4 metres long.
Tom Bagnall from Staffordshire created a jet-propelled go-kart which, reaching speeds of 112.29mph, is the world’s fastest. It took the 26-year-old a year to make the vehicle as he indulged his love of engineering in his workshop.
This year’s book features a section dedicated to the so-called maker movement, recognising inventors and creators of such things as the biggest water pistol and toothpick sculptures.
Their achievements can all be found in the 2019 Guinness World Records book, released today.