Epic record alert!
Matilda Walden (UK) has assembled a Mr. Potato Head toy in 5.69 seconds, breaking the record for fastest time to assemble Mr. Potato Head for the first time in ten years.
Matilda received her first Mr. Potato Head for her fourth birthday.
In December 2021, aged 13, she became the fastest person in the world to assemble it.
"It feels absolutely amazing to hold a Guinness World Records title 😍" – Matilda Walden
The iconic American toy, staple of some pop culture movies such as Disney’s Toy Story franchise, has been extremely popular ever since its release in the 50s, when it hit the market as the first ever toy advertised through TV.
Ever since, assembling Mr. Potato Head in the shortest time has become a true challenge for children all over the world, growing into one of the most established (and coveted) Guinness World Records titles.
In order to break the record in such a short time, Matilda had to test out and master a special technique:
"I had to be joining the nose and moustache together as I picked them up in one hand."
This way, she could minimise the time spent assembling the iconic toy, surpassing the previous record by 0.93 seconds.
Although conquering a title that had remained unbeaten for over a decade required a lot of practice, Matilda was up for the challenge.
"I had a fantastic supportive team around me which helped immensely. The biggest challenge was not being able to pull it off under a competitive environment."
Matilda attempted a Guinness World Records title to raise awareness for the charity SELFA (Skipton Extended Learning for All).
The organisation was established in 2007 and, through offering support to children who are facing a range of adverse childhood experiences, it aims to create a space where children are accepted and welcomed.
Throughout her experience, the Bentham-born teen felt supported by SELFA to the point that it gave her the confidence to believe in her talents and shoot for a world record.
"I have disabilities and sometimes find that in other community events I was not welcome and people judge me," she said.
"SELFA never did, and they have given me so much confidence I thought a Guinness World Records attempt would be a great idea."
Matilda trained for this record with the help of her mum, until she could build her Mr. Potato Head in well under 7 seconds.
Before Matilda's unbelievable time of 5.69 seconds, Samet Durmaz (Turkey) achieved the fastest time to assemble Mr. Potato Head with 6.62 seconds, beating his own record several times.
"My manual dexterity is extremely good, and this was noted from a young age when I used to go for my Autism assessments."
Due to her dyslexia, Matilda decided early on to focus on manual skills.
In her free time, Matilda loves to play the piano and spend time in the garden.
She keeps herself occupied with plenty of other hobbies, such as photography, while also getting involved locally in volunteer and charity groups.
Whenever she can, the teen also surrounds herself with nature and goes on long walks with her mum, who was her main support when preparing for this record.
After such an iconic start, Matilda is looking for more records to break.
She's confident she could assemble Mr. Potato Head blindfolded, a title that is currently held by André Ortolf (Germany).
In 2018, André achieved the fastest time to assemble Mr. Potato Head (blindfolded) with the speedy time of 14.90 seconds.
Will Matilda (with her faithful Mr. Potato Head) attempt this other epic Guinness World Records title next? We can't wait to find out!
Did you know?
Mr. Potato Head holds the record for the most votes for a toy in a political campaign. In 1985, Mr. Potato Head received four postal votes in the mayoral election in Boise, Idaho, USA.
Related Articles
