No Sport Needed For This Olympic Guinness World Record!
If you are aspiring to get into the Guinness World Records for Olympics, but don't quite have Michael's swimming talent or Gabby's gymnastic prowess, here's some encouraging news - It's still possible. All you have to do, is attend more than 18 Olympic Summer Games which, is the record set by 90-year old Harry Nelson.
The California resident said his love for the games began in 1932, when his mother managed to snag four tickets to the Los Angeles Summer Games. The event was extra-special, thanks to the fact that it was during the Great Depression when his family was making ends meet selling eggs, door to door.
Harry, who was just ten-years old then, became so smitten with the games that he along with his brother and some cousins re-created an Olympic field in a vacant lot next to their house, where they practiced their track, pole vaulting and discus throwing skills.
While his athletic abilities never extended to competing beyond high school track, Harry's love for the games never waned - He made it his mission to attend as many Summer Olympics as he could, even during years when he could barely afford it. To finance the 1948 London Games, he had to sell his car and travel by ship, a voyage that took five days.
Over the years, he has even convinced his family to join him in his quest - His wife Delores "Dee" Nelson has accompanied him to twelve games. In fact, their first Olympic trip to the 1956 Melbourne Games also doubled up as their honeymoon. His two kids went along with them to Munich in 1972 and Montreal in 1976.
Will the couple make it to the 2016 Games in Rio De Janeiro? Mr. Nelson, who has penned his Olympic adventures in a self-published book entitled - Following the Flame: A 76-Year Olympic Journey', says if health and finances permit, there is nothing they would like to do more!
Resources: todayinlondonblog, worldsrecordsacademy.org
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47 Comments
- jyroligykunixySunday, September 13, 2020 at 12:37 pmcool
- emma-story24Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 3:16 amWOW!!! he is really awesome!! I wanna go to Olympics summer games one day.
- Madelyn awesomeWednesday, February 28, 2018 at 2:20 pmWow! He is really awesome!😀😀
- pet_rabbit21Monday, August 1, 2016 at 7:49 pmWOW! congrats to that guy!! he must have saved up a lot of money to go to all of the olympics! ;)
- awesome_kidThursday, November 13, 2014 at 1:23 pmHe must have a lot of money to spend on traveling around the world every 4 years and for buying olympic game tickets.
- cr7andzi10Thursday, October 23, 2014 at 6:10 pmhe is very rich
- kaylah123Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 11:22 pmso cool
- cheergirl3Friday, April 18, 2014 at 8:54 amI want to go to the Olympics!!!!!
- beastexplorer13Friday, April 29, 2016 at 12:07 pmme too!!!!!
- TootsieRollsWednesday, November 6, 2013 at 6:10 pmI have always wanted to be in the Olympics!!!!!!!!!!
- 74Sunday, September 22, 2013 at 10:01 amhow does a person do that ?