Some records make you say Wow. Others make you say Why. And then there are the rare few that make you say I think I can do that. That is exactly what happened to me when I stumbled across the Guinness World Records title for Most Bowling Balls Carried on a Unicycle.
I was at Uncle Bob’s Pizza with the family one night. We had a couple slices on the table; the smell of garlic bread in the air; and the TVs on the wall were showing a highlight reel of unusual records. Then I saw it. Someone balancing a stack of bowling balls on a unicycle. And I thought Hey; I have a unicycle. I have bowling balls. Why not me? (And I see myself on the screens at Uncle Bob’s on a regular basis, so it wasn’t an odd thought).
So I applied for the record. When the guidelines arrived, reality hit fast. To break this one, you have to ride the unicycle for at least ten seconds while carrying six or more bowling balls. There was one tiny problem. I only owned four. They were leftovers from other Guinness attempts. So I called up the local bowling folks at Wahoo’s Entertainment Center. They picked up and said Hey yeah; come out; try the record here; we will film it; we will post it to social media; we will invite the news crews. It sounded amazing. But first I wanted to test the bowling balls.
When I got to Wahoo’s, things got uncomfortable real fast. For a moment I almost canceled the entire attempt. My brain said You cannot do this. This is way harder than you expected. And they wanted to have the news show up and it would be my first time event attempting it with all the balls.
But then another voice kicked in. The one that says grit matters. Growth mindset matters. You can figure this out. So I went home and practiced. I rehearsed riding with the four bowling balls I had; focusing on balance; hand placement; and confidence. It was wobbly at first but every day got a little better.
Then came record day. Two news stations showed up. The balls at Wahoo’s felt too loose. My fingers were not sliding in and sticking like they had even minutes before. Everything felt awkward; heavy; and unpredictable. But when I began the official attempt something magical happened. My fingers settled into place. The grip felt possible. Suddenly carrying the balls became easier than during practice.
I loaded four bowling balls. Becky I added a fifth, sixth, and seventh. I pushed off Jason and Ken; found my balance; and pedaled through the ten second requirement. When I hopped off the unicycle, everyone watching started cheering. And just like that, I had done it. Seven bowling balls carried on a unicycle. Another new Guinness World Records title.
Now it is on to the next challenge. Every record is a story; and this one started with pizza and ended with a unicycle full of bowling balls. I cannot wait to see what comes next.