The Quiet Pursuit of a Record
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that records are made to be broken. And sometimes, they’re made to be defended. That’s what Tyler Toney must have thought when he snapped 87 pencils in a minute. It’s an impressive feat, but records, like pencils, are meant to be challenged.
I remember my first attempt in 2019. The record was 90 pencils snapped then. It seemed daunting, but not unreachable. I chose to make my attempt on stage, at a live event. The pressure was immense, but I managed to snap 98 pencils. The crowd was electric, and the internet couldn’t believe it. Some even thought the pencils were Ticonderoga, but they were just regular pencils, and I had just set a new record.
But records are fleeting, and mine was surpassed by someone who managed 110. I knew I couldn’t just let it go. So, I trained. I snapped pencils day and night (ok that’s an exaggeration). I used grip strengtheners until my hands ached and lifted weights until my arms screamed for mercy. But the question lingered – would it be enough?
The answer came at another live event, in front of an eager audience. “3-2-1, go!” and I was off, snapping pencils with a fervor I hadn’t known before. I hit 111, or so I thought. We celebrated, but something was off. Reviewing the footage later, I realized the timer had stopped briefly at 6 seconds, disqualifying my last two snaps. I ended up with 109 – one short of the record.
Determined, I tried again a week later. The pain was intense, my fingers bled, and pencil shards flew like confetti. But as the dust settled, the slow-motion review confirmed it – 110 pencils in one minute. I had tied the record.
It’s a strange feeling, tying a record. It’s not quite victory, not quite defeat. It’s a middle ground that says, “You’re good enough, but you can be better.” And that’s where I stand now, with 169 records under my belt and a goal of 181. It’s not about the number, though. It’s about the journey, the quiet pursuit of something that, for a moment, says you were the best in the world.