Largest Care Bear collection among records in new Guinness World Records edition

The longest hair on a teenager and the oldest female competitive ninja athlete are among the 2,638 record achievements in the Guinness World Records 2024 edition.

More than 30,000 applicants submitted their achievements to Guinness World Records this past year.

The latest edition of the book features over 80% new and updated records and hits shelves today.

Among the new record holders is Simeon Graham, 15, from Birmingham, who has achieved three Guinness World Records titles for the most juggling catches in one minute, with five, six and seven objects.

He has been juggling since he was seven years old and was inspired by his record-breaking juggling idols to make records of his own.

Tom Enoch, 18, from Leamington Spa, who has Down’s syndrome, holds 24 fitness related Guinness World Records titles under the publication’s impairment classifications.

He completed 25 squats in 30 seconds to achieve the record for the most squats done in this time and lifted 275 kilograms to achieve the record for the most weight squat lifted in 30 seconds.

During lockdown, Mr Enoch, who will soon be qualified as a fitness coach, set up online fitness class ‘TomFit’ which he continues to teach online five times a week and at his after-school club.

Ginny MacColl, 71, from the US, first started competing in ninja tournaments several years ago and now holds the record for the oldest female competitive ninja athlete.

Tommy, a 13-year-old, is a pure-bred Brown Swiss from Massachusetts, is the tallest steer in the world at 1.87m (6ft 1in) (Guinness World Records/PA)

Amir Menendez, 14, from California is the proud owner of the largest afro on a male, which is over 19 centimetres high and more than 24 centimetres wide.

The record holder for the tallest steer – a male animal that belongs to the cattle family – is Tommy, 13, a pure-bred Brown Swiss from Massachusetts who has amassed a large TikTok following since the pandemic.

Craig Glenday, the editor in chief at Guinness World Records, said: “Only a small percentage of claims have made it through the selection process, so the 2,638 records featured in the book really are the cream of this year’s crop.

The largest gathering of people dressed as astronauts was in Abu Dhabi (Guinness World Records/PA)

“I say it every year, but it’s the best edition yet.”

Other record holders include Nicholas Cherrywood, from the US, who owns the largest collection of Care Bear memorabilia with 1,234 items.

Melody Donchet, from France, achieved the female record for the most touches of a football with the soles in one minute by doing 227 touches.

The 2024 edition of Guinness World Records is the final instalment with a cover created by artist Rod Hunt.

The underwater-inspired cover reflects the edition’s theme, “Blue Planet”.

Guinness World Records 2024 (RRP: £22.00) is available for purchase in stores and online from September 14 2023.