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
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'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
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'[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
