Olympic medalist Frederick ‚Flips‘ Richard, a native of Stoughton, Massachusetts, flipped his way into the history books Friday, and he did it for a special cause.
Richard, who took home a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, set out to break the Guinness World Record for the most backflips done in 24 hours. He’s doing so to raise $100,000 toward his goal of bringing gymnastics equipment to children in Africa.
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In a livestream Friday, Richard did backflip after backflip as a counter ticked toward 1,001 — the previous record. He crossed that threshold just before midnight.
„Breaking it before midnight, so that way I can say I broke the world record on the day that my nephew was born,“ Richard said when he was one flip away from tying the record.
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When he made his 1,002nd flip of the day, confetti filled Premier Gymnastics, the Stoughton gym where he got his start.
„World record!“ he shouted.
But Richard didn’t stop there, setting the new record at 1,111 backflips early Saturday morning.
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The project is part of Richard’s fundraising campaign — the Frederickflips Foundation — and is in partnership with the Dominican Health and Education Initiative (DAHEI).
Richard has amassed a large social media following, where he’s shared posts about the event to raise awareness.
„It’s time we get these kids, these underprivileged areas, some high-level equipment so they have a chance at getting to the higher stages, the international stages, the Olympic stages,“ he said.
Richard has spoken publicly about inspiring the next generation of gymnasts and changing the face of the sport.
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Frederick ‘Flips' Richard breaks world backflip record – NBC Boston
