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David Rush is an author, speaker, electrical engineer and STEM advocate.
He is also the holder of over 200 Guinness World Records.
A newly released YouTube video by the Idaho native documented how he set 52 world records during the 2021 calendar year—or one record per week on average
Rush, who attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has a master's degree from Boise State University, recapped some of his many records in the video.
His feats included stacking soaps; bouncing balls into five plastic cups in record time with the help of a friend; juggling balls for 52 minutes while standing atop a Swiss ball; swiftly setting up a chessboard; and balancing nearly 20 glasses in his mouth.
Rush said 2021 was a "milestone" year for him, which included the most kiwis sliced using a samurai sword while standing on top of a Swiss ball. He balanced 101 toilet paper rolls on his head for 30 seconds.
He told Newsweek he is also "a juggler by trade," even starting a juggling group during his days at MIT. A couple of his world records included juggling balls while blindfolded for 32 minutes and 7 seconds, and juggling axes for over 22 minutes.
Rush said he started his world record feats back in 2013, which included running the fastest half-mile while juggling. He trained for two years and ran over 2,000 miles but then hurt his knee.
"Instead of giving up on my dream, I pivoted," he said.
He gained inspiration from books like Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, and Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth.
"A lot of it has to do with the mindset," said Rush, who works at a technology startup in Idaho called Cradlepoint. "When I was a little kid, I dreamed of breaking a world record and it seemed so out of reach."
He has used the same perspective for over 10 years as he has encouraged kids of all ages to develop passions for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)—regardless of whether they are "good" at math or have no idea how physics works.
Rush was in the same situation when he was young and learned to develop both his mind and his own perseverance.
"The hardest record to break was my first one because I had this mindset that it was gonna be impossible," he said.
When he embarked on fulfilling 52 records in one calendar year, Rush said he took everything he learned to make his dreams come to fruition. That included understanding how practice plays a role in people's lives, as well as putting in the mental and physical time and effort it takes to succeed.
Once he reviewed the various records that exist in Guinness books and the Guinness World Records website, Rush looked at his own skills and realized he could branch out to dozens of different records per his multiple skill sets – such as juggling, balancing, running and having a fast-twitch response.
The hardest record he broke in 2021 was the fastest 100-meter dash while juggling blindfolded. To break that record, he had to stay in his lane for the full 400 meters that involved accelerating and getting up to speed.
He practiced for years and ran thousands of miles. Originally, he tried to break the record on two different days while accompanied by teams of supporters. He made 40-50 attempts and was unsuccessful; he tried again about 1 1/2 years later and was successful after 20-30 tries.
After years of hard work, hundreds of records broken and even appearances on The Today Show and America's Got Talent, Rush told Newsweek he expects to break more records in 2022.
"I'm excited and hopefully making a difference in students' lives and giving them a tangible example. ... That's probably the most satisfying part of the whole endeavor: Anyone can do amazing things if they set their minds to it," he said.
About the writer
Nick Mordowanec is a Newsweek investigative reporter based in Michigan. His focus includes U.S. and international politics and policies, immigration, ... Read more