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Boston Globe
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Olympic gymnast and Stoughton native Frederick Richard sets backflip world record: ‘Let's do this'
The previous world record for the most backflips performed in 24 hours was 1,001, set by Nico Scheicher on May 4, 2019 in Australia, according to Richard set the record after more than 15 hours, but he continued on past midnight, surpassing the previous record by 10 flips. In the final moments of the challenge, Richard tearfully thanked his sister Alexandra Richard, who set up the fundraiser while pregnant and 'never slowed down,' he said during the event, posted to The event was an initiative by the Advertisement 'Right now, many of these talented young athletes train on makeshift setups like tires and other unsafe surfaces,' Alexandra wrote on a The GoFundMe organized by Alexandra raised $2,500 in the Advertisement '[Alexandra] worked harder than anybody while pregnant, like that's the family I have supporting me,' Frederick said Friday just before midnight. After he hit 1,000 flips, Frederick told viewers that his sister went into labor just a day before the event. 'I'm breaking [the record] before midnight so that I can say I broke it on the day my nephew was born,' he said. 'His name's Amir. I'm definitely going to the hospital after this to see him, but let's do this.' The event was held at Premier Gymnastics in Stoughton. It was open to the public from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and was live-streamed on multiple platforms. On Sunday, Richard celebrated the record and his nephew's birth with a post on Instagram. 'Backflip World Record Holder and Uncle Frederickflips,' he caption a series of photos. Richard posted a During the event, artist 'It was an honor to support a dope cause and witness history being made,' Fitts commented on Richard's Instagram page. After the thousand-plus flips, Richard posted a video where he pretended to limp on camera. 'Psych,' he said with a laugh, before backflipping yet again. '1,111 backflips later, we still good.' Sarah Mesdjian can be reached at
Boston Globe
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Stoughton native Frederick Richard flips his way to a world record
With the help of his sister Alexandra, Richard turned the event into a fundraiser to provide professional gymnastics equipment for underprivileged children in Africa. Their Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Right now, many of these talented young athletes train on makeshift setups like tires and other unsafe surfaces,' Alexandra wrote on the page. 'With your help, we can change that and give them the resources they need to reach their full potential.' Advertisement The fundraiser was organized as part of the FrederickFlips Foundation in partnership with the Confetti fell from the ceiling at Premier Gymnastics in Stoughton as Richard hit major milestones in his mission to beat the record. In an Advertisement Beyond the good cause and the glory of the record, achieving his goal carried plenty of personal weight. With only two flips to go from the record, Richard got emotional and thanked Alexandra for her commitment to his dream, even while she was pregnant. He explained that as he pushed himself through the challenge, he also became an uncle.
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Olympian Fred Richard Aims For Backflip World Record To Benefit African Gymnasts
On May 2, one of the nation's top male gymnasts will flip for a cause. Fred Richard, known for leading Team USA to the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for most standing backflips completed in 24 hours. The Massachusetts native will attempt the record at roughly 5 p.m. ET at Premier Gymnastics in Stoughton, his hometown. Richard and his team have indicated that a livestream will be available on various social media platforms. The Olympic and World medalist's stunt isn't just for bragging rights. Richard hopes to generate donations upwards of $100,000 to bring gymnastics equipment to children in Africa. Over the past months, Richard has created social media content highlighting the gymnastics skills of gymnasts from Clon Circus Uganda, a foundation "dedicated to supporting street kids and orphans in finding purpose and a brighter future. Through a series of social media posts, Richard highlighted the discrepancies between his training equipment and the training facilities for the athletes at Clon Circus. While U.S. athletes have mats and state-of-the-art equipment, the Clon Circus athletes attempt complex gymnastics skills on dirt. 'We all have potential, it's the environment we're in that determines the outcome,' Richard posted, supported by videos of talented Clon Circus gymnasts. The Frederick Flips Foundation has opened a GoFundMe dedicated to harvesting contributions before and during Friday's event. As of Thursday evening, the fundraiser has raised just under $10,000. 'Right now, many of these talented young athletes train on makeshift setups like tires and other unsafe surfaces,' the fundraiser reads. 'With your help, we can change that and give them the resources they need to reach their full potential.' The foundation works in partnership with the Dominican Health and Education Initiative (DAHEI). It specifies that donations 'will go toward securing gymnastics equipment and a facility for the kids to train.' One of the most successful American male gymnasts in recent history, Richard continues to accumulate accolades within his sport. Last month, Richard helped the University of Michigan Men's Gymnastics team to its seventh NCAA National Championship. He also clinched the men's all-around title over 2024 Olympic teammate Paul Juda. In 2023, Richard became the first American man to medal in the individual all-around at the World Championships since 2010. He also played a pivotal role in clinching the first World medal for the U.S. men's team since 2014. Richard is also a social media sensation. Widely considered the most prominent male gymnastics influencer in the world, he boasts a combined 1.5 million followers on Instagram and TikTok. In 2024, Time honored Richard as one of the most influential emerging stars in popular culture. Before he achieved mainstream status at the Paris Olympics, Bloomberg reported that Richard earned "roughly $6,000 a month from social media platforms.' He has worked with prominent brands like Crocs, Celsius Energy Drinks, and Peloton, but also owns an apparel line, Frederick Flips. On Friday, Richard hopes to channel his staggering following into tangible change.
