I was helping out at a youth health event today. Little did I realise that this was not just a typical sports award ceremony for fleet-footed youngsters, but a world record-breaking one.
As reported on Channel News Asia, 14 year-old Rachael Baby Yue, clad in a skintight red costume, skipped 157 times in just 30 seconds to beat the previous world record of 152 times, set by a Japanese.
[Update: After a re-count, we learnt she did NOT break the world record of 152 skips. But she did break the Singapore record with her 149 skips. Great attempt!]
It was a pity I didn't bring my camera with me to video the whole episode. But I wonder, even with my 30 frames per second capture speed, whether you would have been able to see the rope at all. She was like a turbine engine. It was so fast that the people in charge of certifying whether she broke the record or not, had to replay her act in slow motion.
Rachael took a break before making a second attempt, but I think her first attempt was better. Anyway, we cheered and applauded her both times. It must have been quite pressurising because so many eyes were on her. I also felt that even if she did not break the world record, she should still be encouraged.
After that, Rachael and her younger sister entertained us with a series of skipping rope sequences, criss-crossing each other and even switching ropes. It was a treat.
Well done, young lady, we're proud of you.
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