17 years ago, his body was falling apart due to osteoporosis, now he’s aiming for a Guinness Record in knuckle push-ups. What changed?

Seventeen years ago, Kim Welch could not even lift a gallon of milk without searing pain shooting through his joints. Today, the 37-year-old Missouri elementary school teacher is chasing a Guinness World Record for knuckle pushups — a transformation that he says is fueled by grit, faith, and a refusal to give up.

Welch, who teaches at Gatz Brown Elementary in Moberly, once lived with debilitating conditions that nearly derailed his life. As a teenager, he suffered relentless pain in his knees, elbows, and bones, often leaving him unable to walk across his college campus. After years of uncertainty, doctors at Mayo Clinic diagnosed him with osteoporosis, spondyloarthritis, and hypogonadism, conditions that explained why his body seemed to be breaking down before adulthood.

“It felt like someone was jabbing my knees and elbows with knives,” Welch recalled in an interview with People.

Reinventing strength through discipline

Faced with a daunting prognosis, Welch spent months retraining his body. He immersed himself in books on fitness and nutrition, setting daily micro-goals that slowly helped him rebuild strength. Over time, his determination not only restored his physical health but also gave him a new purpose.

He returned to school, earned an education degree, and became a third-grade teacher. At the same time, fitness turned from a means of survival into a passion. Welch began working out multiple times a day, adding obstacle course races and calisthenics to his regimen.

When a shoulder injury prevented him from doing regular pushups, he switched to knuckle pushups. That shift sparked a bold idea: why not chase a world record?

The 12-hour challenge

On August 11, Welch attempted what no one had before — the most knuckle pushups completed in 12 hours. Over the course of the day, he powered through 6,050 pushups, averaging 10 every minute. The effort left his arms swollen and bruised, but the community’s support kept him going.

“I was close to crying,” he told People, describing the moment he saw friends, family, and neighbors gather at his church to cheer him on.

Guinness World Records has confirmed PEOPLE, it is reviewing Welch’s application for the title.