World’s youngest record breakers

People all over the world dream of breaking a world record, but the time it takes to do so can mean sacrificing years of your life for something you may not even achieve. Indeed, some potential record breakers certainly don’t put in quite as many hours, even years of training as others,

The achievements accomplished by certain individuals were impressive at the time, but the icing on the cake was how amazingly young they were when they performed them.

I’m sure that once you have read about some of the world’s youngest world record holders, you might just be inspired to go out and break a record or two yourself !

■ In 2011, having previously conquered Mount Everest when she was 13, American Jordan Romero became the youngest person ever to climb the seven highest mountains in the world when reached the summit of Vinson Masiff in Antartica at the age of 15.

■ Early in 2016, Britain’s Callum Gathercole (below), at the age of 20 years and 219 days, became the youngest person to row across any ocean on his own when he completed the 3,000-mile journey from the Spanish island of La Gomera to Antigua in the Caribbean in just 58 days.

■ At the age of 14 years and 227 days – when most kids are busy mugging up for their school exams - Hasan Raza (below, centre ) of Pakistan created history by becoming the youngest ever cricketer to play in Test Match. A right-handed batsman, he scored 27 on his debut against Zimbabwe at Faisalabad in 1996.

■ In Tampa Bay, Florida in 2012, American schoolboy Jagger Eaton, aged just 11 years and 129 days, became the youngest athlete in history to compete in a major skateboarding event. He finished 12th but two years later, aged 13, he won this prestigious event at the same venue.

■ Baerke van der Meij was only 12 months old when Dutch football club, Venlose Voetbal Vereniging signed him on a symbolic ten-year contract, making him the youngest ‘pro’ soccer player ever. He signed his contract with a crayon, and celebrated with a glass of orange juice.

■ American Andrew Bynum (top) is believed to be the youngest-ever NBA player in history when he stepped onto the court for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005 at the age of 18 years and six days.

■ And finally, the youngest driver to compete in a F1 Grand Prix is another Dutchman, Max Verstappen (below), who debuted in Melbourne, Australia at the age of 17 years and 180 days in 2015. A year later Verstappen became the youngest driver to win a F1 GP when he took the chequered flag for the Red Bull here in Barcelona, Spain.