Lincoln man proud holder of ‘parallel bar dips’ world record for 24 years
Simon once held 12 world records
Simon Kent broke the Guinness World Record for the 'most parallel bar dips in one hour' in 1998 (left). He has held the record ever since and still has the same custom-made bars now (right).
A father-of-five from Lincoln is proud to hold a Guinness World Record for the ‘most parallel bar dips in one hour’ after 24 years.
Property landlord Simon Kent, who was born in North Lincolnshire but has lived in Lincoln most of his life, first broke the record at the age of 22 with a total of 1,754 dips in an hour in 1987.
The record then changed hands multiple times before Simon set a new record of 3,989 parallel bar dips at Farrahs Health Centre on Brant Road, which is now a housing estate, on September 5, 1998. He achieved the record using custom-made bars from Boston-based Polaris which he still has at home in his garage.
Between 1987 and 2006 Simon broke a total of 12 world records and still officially holds one of them today.
Simon always used to do a lot of athletics, including high jump and discus, as well as cricket and football. Gymnastic tests were part of his training for discuss, a sport in which he represented Lincolnshire at school level.
The tests included press-ups and parallel bar dips, and Simon realised he was really good at the latter.
Simon first broke the Guinness World Record for the ‘most parallel bar dips in one hour’ in 1987.
After the world record changed hands multiple times, Simon broke it again in 1998 and has held it ever since.
Simon, now 57, recalled to The Lincolnite about a programme called Superstars back in the 80s. Olympic bronze medallist in Judo Brian Jacks, who he later exchanged letters with, was famous for his efforts in the gymnasium where he frequently set records in the “gym tests” including 100 parallel bar dips in 60 seconds in the 1981 Challenge of the Champions.
When Simon was around 10-years-old he was in a cross country race at primary school, which he ended up winning and he said at the time he thought “one day I’d love to be the best at something and get in the book of records.”
Simon kept training and first broke the record in 1987 and between that year and 2006 he held an impressive total of 12 gymnastic tests-related world records. One Guinness World Record – ‘most parallel bar dips in one hour’ – still officially remains in his name after nearly quarter of a century.
Simon proudly holding the Guinness World Records Book (left) and showing the page he features on (right).
Simon still holds the record which has featured in Guinness World Records books.
Simon with his Guinness Book Of Records certificate.
He told The Lincolnite: “It feels fantastic and I didn’t realise it was still in place until a few months ago, so I feel very proud of that.”
He thought he’d broken another three years ago when he attempted a minute record for press-ups on his knuckles.
Guinness told him that he’d got the right number of press-ups, but that his thumbs were “pointing out” in the photos, so it couldn’t be approved, but Simon is determined to attempt this record again next year.
Simon broke the world record in 1998 using custom-made bars from Boston-based Polaris, which he still has at home in his garage today.
Simon had another practice on the parallel bars this week.
In addition to breaking the world records, Simon has also taken on similar record attempts for charity, including on television for Children In Need.
Although he isn’t doing as many record attempts these days, Simon still loves to keep fit and trains most weekdays at Total Fitness, as well as playing golf.
Simon with two of his five children – India, 22, and Charlie, 17.
He also loves spending time with his five children – Tom, 31, Nick, 29, Jasmine, 28, India, 22, and 17-year-old Charlie.
Simon’s parallel bar dips record is part eight in The Lincolnite’s series looking at both Guinness World Record holders in Greater Lincolnshire and records set in the county.
Declan is now a Guinness World Record holder. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
*This record has since been broken more than once, including by speedeater, and multiple Guinness World Record holder Leah Shutkever with at time of 15.71 seconds. However, it was beaten again in January 2022 by Fayis Nazer (India) in Abu Dhabi, UAE in a time of 11.86 seconds.
Anna O’Mara now holds the world record for the ‘Fastest time to complete the Screwball Scramble game’.
*This record has since been broken. James Burgess achieved the record for the fastest time to complete the Screwball Scramble game with a time of 20.20 seconds in Exeter on May 9, 2021.
Charlotte Wharton, along with rowers from the Imperial College Boat Club, broke the Guinness World Record for the ‘fastest 100m waterski tow by rowing boat’ in 2013. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
New Holland Agriculture’s record breaking team with their Guinness World Record Certificate in 2014.
Part 7 – Lincoln Minster School – Highest altitude game of street hockey
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The Game, an icon in the 21st century rap music business, will be bringing his array of hits to Lincoln Engine Shed for his first UK shows in over five years this December.
Jayceon Terrell Taylor is better known as The Game, and the 42-year-old Compton-born rapper soared to fame in the early 2000s as an up-and-coming star on Dr Dre’s Aftermath Records label – selling millions of album copies throughout his illustrious career.
His debut album The Documentary boasted some of hip-hop’s biggest ever hits, including How We Do and Hate It Or Love It featuring fellow rap icon 50 Cent.
His lyrical soul-searching through tough upbringings has made him a favourite in the genre, and he is still going strong to this day – announcing a tour of the UK and Ireland to accompany his new album Drillmatic – Mind vs. Heart.
The tour will be The Game’s first in the United Kingdom for over five years, and it will see one of rap music’s most iconic names perform right here in Lincoln on December 5 – as he brings the energy to the Engine Shed.
Tickets will cost £33 and go on sale via the Engine Shed website at 10am on Monday, August 22. Given the subject matter of The Game’s songs, the show is unsurprisingly an over-18s event.
The Grammy winning rapper was part of a major talking point earlier in 2022, when his lead single Eazy contained a candid verse by Kanye West, in which he discussed his public divorce with Kim Kardashian.
His tenth studio album, Drillmatic – Mind vs. Heart, was released on August 12 and contained collaborations from major artists including Drake, Rick Ross, Chris Brown and the aforementioned Kanye West.
A lying lorry driver who smuggled £3 million worth of heroin into the UK was caught out when he put a receipt for a bottle of whisky next to his hidden load of the Class A drug.
Lithuanian national Edmundas Bruzas, 56, of Arklow, County Wicklow in Ireland, has been jailed for over 12 years.
He said he knew nothing about the 60 tape-wrapped blocks of heroin in his cab when questioned by Border Force officers at the Port of Immingham on March 25, 2022, having arrived from Rotterdam.
Bruzas said he was carrying a load of strawberries for delivery to Ireland but that he was not present when the cargo was loaded.
He declared 200 cigarettes and a bottle of Grant’s Triple Wood Whisky he bought on an outbound ferry before collecting the strawberries.
Searching the heavy goods vehicle, Border Force officers noticed something wrong with part of the refrigeration unit and discovered the blocks of heroin weighing 30 kilos and next to them seven carrier bags in a concealed area.
Border Force referred the find to the National Crime Agency and an investigation was launched.
The heroin laid out. | Photo: National Crime Agency
In custody, Bruzas said he knew nothing about the drugs and answered questions in two separate interviews.
He admitted buying the alcohol and said he didn’t know what he’d done with the receipt. But when it was put to him that officers had found the receipt – showing his credit card details – for the whisky in a carrier bag next to the heroin he refused to answer any more questions.
Officers also discovered three mobile phones, a SIM card and a post-it note bearing the question: “Are Customs doing a check on you?”
Today (August 15), at Grimsby Crown Court Bruzas admitted smuggling the heroin and was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison.
Drugs concealment. | Photo: National Crime Agency
NCA operations manager Carl Barrass said: “It was impossible for Bruzas not to know his cab had heroin in it. And when he realised we’d found his credit card receipt next to the drugs he had no option but to admit his guilt.
“Bruzas’s conviction removes a drugs smuggler from an organised crime group which has also lost a significant amount of money that would have been ploughed back into further offending.
“With partners such as Border Force and UK policing, the NCA leads the UK’s fight against Class A drugs which cause huge damage to our communities.”
Murdo Macmillan, Director of Border Force North, said: “These drugs destined for the UK would have fuelled addiction, violence and exploitation.
“This seizure and others like it, send a clear message to anyone who is considering smuggling illegal drugs into the country that we remain committed and prepared to tackle drug supply chains.
“The tireless professional efforts of Border Force officers prevent criminals like Edmundas Bruzas from smuggling drugs through the border. With our close working relationship with the NCA, we continue to detect and break supply chains.”
Whatsapp
