Meet Willem Delport, the South African boy who broke a world record with 208 one-foot hops in one minute

With persistence and an ambitious goal, a childhood challenge can become something much bigger.A test of balance and endurance turned into a world record feat for South African youngster Willem Delport who hoped it would inspire other children in Africa to aim high.

Willem wanted to inspire other children

Willem set out to break the record for the greatest number of hops finished on one foot in a minute. His effort was successful, with the young South African completing 208 hops in one minute. Guinness World Records lists Willem as the record holder for the achievement in Pretoria, South Africa.

Before making his official attempt, Willem already believed he could surpass the existing mark of 126 hops.


But breaking the record was not his only motivation. Willem wanted his achievement to illustrate to other children that their situations should not prevent them from pursuing ambitious dreams.

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The attempt took place near Willem's home

Willem's record effort was held in the public parking area of The Ashton Group of Auditors and Accountants. The auditing firm is situated in Pretoria, in South Africa's Gauteng Province, close to where Willem lived.

Two independent timekeepers measured the attempt.

The performance also had to meet certain conditions for the record to be accepted. Willem had to remain on the same leg throughout the challenge, while the other leg could not touch the ground. Also, each individual hop needed to be clearly off the ground.

He cleared the previous record by 82 hops

Willem successfully completed the attempt while observing the requirements. His final total of 208 hops put him 82 hops ahead of the previous record of 126.

His personal challenge was turned into a world record performance.More importantly, it achieved the purpose that Willem had attached to the attempt: to show other children in Africa that ambitious goals could be pursued, regardless of their origins.

A proud day for family and friends

Willem’s family and friends were proud of the young record holder and celebrated his achievement.

His story also carried the message of his original goal.“Willem wanted to inspire children in Africa and beyond to believe that they too can work toward remarkable achievements by undertaking a challenging physical challenge and successfully completing it.

Source:Guinness World Records Kids