YMCA achieves new Guinness World Record for most consecutive football (soccer) penalty kicks in multiple locations.
What a great way to celebrate the YMCA’s 171st birthday; by achieving a new Guinness World Record!
The YMCA attempted this Record as part its annual World Challenge, held on its birthday, June 6th. The World Challenge provides YMCAs everywhere the opportunity to share our impact in over 12,000 local communities.
Over 50 YMCA locations took part in the attempt, covering each continent. Locations were as far apart as Belarus, Cameroun, Peru, Greece, and Mongolia. Each attempt commenced at 12 noon GMT, meaning a sunrise morning for Haiti, a European summer’s day for London and a late winter’s night for Australia. Thousands of people of all ages joined together to kick penalty goals. This was an event as diverse as the YMCA itself! Guinness World Records has confirmed the Record was achieved with 3,243 participants.
This years’ World Challenge theme was “Kicking goals for youth empowerment”, sharing the link between the YMCAs commitment to empowering young people everywhere and doing this through kicking goals: both actual football goals and empowering young people to set and achieve personal goals.
“What a great result for the YMCA – and what a tremendous birthday celebration! Well done YMCAs everywhere”, affirmed YMCA Secretary General, Johan Vilhelm Eltvik.
“It was fitting because our friends in YMCA Uruguay invented futsal. Kicking goals for empowering young people may have been the theme of our birthday, but it is also the theme we all take into the world every day of the year as well.”
All the photos can be seen on our Flickr photo Album, click here
What is the World Alliance of YMCA?
Working for social justice for all youth, regardless of religion, race, gender or culture the World YMCA is a global ecumenical Movement reaching 58 million people in 119 countries worldwide. Founded in 1855, the World Alliance of YMCAs is the oldest and largest Movement for youth in the world.
For further information:
Andrew McKenzie, Executive Secretary – Communications, World YMCA, andrew@ymca.int