While most teens were engrossed to their screens during lockdown, Siddharth Das, a 12th grader from Radcliffe School, Ulwe, was glued to his skipping rope, quite literally bouncing his way into the record books. Once a state-level swimmer, he swapped splashes for skips and, after clocking 2–3 hours of practice a day, discovered he was just a hop and a few blisters away from world glory.
From national records to three shiny Guinness World Records, he has proven that backward steps can sometimes take you leaps ahead, quite literally smashing the record for most backward skips in a minute, certified by the India Book of Records. He says, “The turning point in my journey was the lockdown because, while focusing on swimming and running, I transitioned from being a swimmer to a skipper.”
His first record was a lightning-fast 151 backwards skips in just 30 seconds in Raigarh, Maharashtra, on October 26, 2024. But Siddharth wasn’t done yet. He kept the rope flying and the momentum building until June 23, 2025, when he nailed a jaw-dropping 711 backward skips in three minutes in Ulwe, Maharashtra. His journey is proof that sometimes the fastest way forward is to start by stepping back and skipping with style.
His daily drill isn’t for the faint-hearted: mornings begin with warm-ups before school, afternoons are spent in the gym, evenings are for swimming or running, and nights belong to her trusty rope. Of course, every great act needs a backstage crew. His family, coaches, and Radcliffe School, Ulwe, have been in his corner, cheering him through every rope-burn and record attempt.
Even when Guinness turned him down at 13, claiming he was too young for endurance feats, he refused to throw in the towel. Instead, he trained harder, choosing stubborn grit over sulky defeat.
His medal cabinet’s already bursting, with state-level swimming certificates, the Ulwe Ratna Puraskar, and four Life’s Brand Ambassador awards. But for Das, this is merely Round One. He set his sights on Triathlon glory, Olympic medals, and, of course, a few more world records “just for fun”.
Das aspires to break two more world records, to continue training for Triathlon, and to represent his nation at the national level.
