David Rush says the thrill he felt when he first beat his brother at something inspired him to set more than 180 simultaneous Guinness World Records.
In an interview published in The Washington Post on Monday, Rush, who makes a living as a motivational speaker, described how growing up in Boise, Idaho, he competed with his two older brothers in football, ping pong and swimming, often coming in second or third. He eventually turned the tables in a swimming race against one of his brothers, igniting a competitive spirit that has now earned him the title of most Guinness World Records setter 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 Post of those formative days in the water. “I remember vividly feeling proud about it.”
A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rush worked in the technology industry for several years before embarking on a career as a motivational speaker. He decided he wanted to break at least some of the 40,000 Guinness World Records, thinking it might be a way to promote the importance of science, technology, engineering and math in education.
He first set the record in 2015 when he juggled blindfolded for six and a half minutes, The Washington Post reported, and has since stretched that record to more than an hour.
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.
In early January, Rush destroyed 55 vinyl records in 30 seconds, earning his 181st Guinness World Record, which was recently verified. Although Guinness does not keep track of the most record-breakers, Rush told his 50,000 YouTube subscribers that he was pleased to be the third person to hold the record, surpassing Italy's Silvio Sabba.
Sabah held 180 Guinness World Records at any one time, with around 20 of his own records having been broken by others.
Rush told The Washington Post that he knows his record is under constant threat — a harsh reality for someone who's made a name for himself by mastering a task like quickly folding (or hanging) a T-shirt.
The former America's Got Talent contestant said in a recent YouTube video that he had almost given up on his Guinness World Record obsession, which takes a lot of time and effort.
But he told The Post he is adamant about defending the unofficial title he took from Sabah — and that he's closing in on two other people with more than 100 Guinness World Records titles — because he sees his Guinness World Record as an exciting challenge, not a silly trick.
And, as Rush told his YouTube audience, his record-breaking feat also provides a “concrete example” of a larger human truth.
“If you set a goal, believe in yourself and pursue it with passion, you can accomplish virtually anything,” he said.
