Siblings influence our lives and define our lifeline. Competing with siblings in games and sports is often a part of growing up.
But for David Rush of the United States, sibling rivalry has a different meaning. Rush simultaneously holds 180 Guinness World Records, and it has to do with sibling rivalry.
In an interview published in The Washington Post on Monday, Rush, who makes a living as a motivational speaker, recounted growing up in Boise, Idaho, competing with his two older brothers in football, ping pong and swimming, often coming in second or third.
But he eventually turned the tables during a swimming contest with one of his brothers, which ignited a competitive spirit in him that he still uses today, cementing his position as the most prolific Guinness World Record holder in the world.
“It was the first time I'd ever been taller than him and beat him at something,” the 39-year-old told The Washington Post of that formative day in the water. “I remember vividly feeling proud about it.”
A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rush decided he wanted to try to break at least some of the 40,000 Guinness World Records as a way to promote the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in education.
He first set the record in 2015 by juggling blindfolded for six and a half minutes, but has since stretched that record to more than an hour, The Washington Post reported.
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His records, which include catching 59 marshmallows in his mouth in under a minute and balancing 101 rolls of toilet paper on his head, have earned him the enthusiastic support of his wife and three children.
All of these feats are certified in the presence of a Guinness World Records representative, or more commonly by volunteer timekeepers and witnesses, as well as video, photographs and documentation.
“If you set a goal, believe in yourself, and pursue it with passion, you can accomplish virtually anything,” Rush says.
