Sibling rivalry pushes US man to hold 180 Guinness world records

Siblings are the individuals who influence our lives and even define our lifelines. To compete with siblings in games and sports is often part of growing up.

But for David Rush in the United States, the rivalry with his siblings has meant something else. Rush holds 180 concurrent Guinness World Records and that has to do with sibling rivalry.

In an interview with the Washington Post published Monday, Rush, who makes his living giving motivational talks, recounted how he frequently came in second or third when competing against his two older brothers in football, table tennis and swimming while growing up in Boise, Idaho.

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But in a swimming race with one of his siblings, he finally turned the tables. That ignited in him a competitive streak that he keeps alive these days by staking a claim as the globe's most prolific Guinness World Record setter.

"I had grown taller than him, and it was the first time I’d ever beaten him at something," the 39-year-old told Washington Post, with regards to that formative day in the water. "I vividly remember being proud of that."

Rush, who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, resolved to begin breaking at least some of the 40,000 Guinness World Records because he thought it might be a way to promote the importance of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in education.

He clinched his first record in 2015 by juggling blindfolded for six-and-a-half minutes – a mark he has since extended to more than an hour, as the Post reported further.

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Other marks he has accumulated range from catching 59 marshmallows in his mouth in less than a minute to balancing 101 rolls of toilet paper on his head. Those marks have drawn enthusiastic support from his wife and three children.

The feats have all been certified either in the presence of a Guinness World Records representative or, more commonly, with volunteer timers and witnesses as well as the submission of videos, photos and paperwork.

"If you set your mind to a goal, believe in yourself, pursue it with a passion," Rush says, "you can accomplish virtually anything."