American teenager Mia Peterson landed an epic skating record after performing a barani flip over 12 of her friends.
The incredible stunt earned the then-15-year-old, from California, USA, the record for most people barani flipped over from a quarter pipe on roller skates.
Mia has been named as one of Guinness World Records' Young Achievers and will feature in our 2024 book, which goes on sale very soon.
Mia didn’t start roller-skating until she was 11 years old, when her sister got a pair of skates for her birthday and they started going to the skating rink together.
By the age of 13, Mia had fallen in love with the sport and become a regular at the skate park, where she made a few good friends from the skating community.
But one of the hardest tricks Mia has learnt, which took her performances to the next level, is the barani flip – a gymnastic manoeuvre comprising a front flip with a half twist.
But how did she become so good at it?
“When I first attempted a flip on roller skates I tried it into a foam pit,” Mia told us. “I got really comfortable with them into a foam pit and then onto an airbag. When I was confident with my rotation and the flip, I would start attempting them on cement.
“I would take baby steps until I could land the flip. It is not easy at first though, I would take some tough falls here and there!
“One time I split my chin and had to get 27 stitches. Also, when I first attempted a front flip I over-rotated and slammed on to my stomach, breaking some of my ribs.”
It took a lot of courage to try flips again. But then I remember that falling is just a part of skating and I get back up and try again.
Then one day, Mia’s friend Jake suggested that she try to flip over him while he lay on the ground. She took some persuading but, within a few days, she was flipping over nine people in a row.
Her mum, Sarah, has even got in on the action!
Mia used to spend hours practising every day. Now, as a busy 16-year-old, she has less free time, but she still manages to skate a few times a week.
These days, Mia competes on a regular basis, even though she is not planning on making a career out of it.
“I don’t skate for money,” she told us, “I skate for the happiness it gives me. I will definitely continue to skate, even when I go to college and get a profession.”
After a lot of practising, on 16 July 2022, Mia lined up 12 other skaters in Laguna Niguel and soared over them to claim her world record title.
As she told us, her main source of motivation are her fellow skating friends: “All the skaters around me really inspire me. [They] really pushed me. […] Watching them improve and work hard inspires me more than anything!”
You can see Mia’s attempt here:
One of Mia’s all-time favourite memories is from when she landed her first ever flip.
“From the time I started roller skating I always dreamed of being able to do a flip on skates. […] One day at the skate park I was determined to land a front flip. I told my friends that I wanted to try to front flip and they all gathered around the quarter pipe to watch me.
“I was nervous but I tried it. I took some tough falls but I got right back up and kept throwing it. Finally, once I landed it, all my friends cheered for me and were stoked!
“I had the biggest smile on my face and I was so happy to land a trick I had always been dreaming about.”
Mia is quite confident in her abilities.
“I was usually pretty confident in my attempts, but I always knew my limit. I would never try and push it and see if I could go farther than I knew I could.
“Because I am flipping over people and I can’t really bail out or have an unsuccessful attempt, because I could be endangering someone.”
When Mia received her record certificate, a childhood dream of hers came true.
“I was thrilled! I couldn’t believe it, it seemed very surreal. I used to always look up to the people in this book when I was younger and now to be in it, it feels like a dream.”
The talented teenager thinks that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible.
Try to find a hobby or sport that you love! Do it because you enjoy it, and the happiness it brings you. If you work hard and put in the hours, you can do anything.
So, what’s next for Mia’s career in record breaking?
She revealed that she might try to break another record in the future.
“I would probably try and attempt to get the highest flip now. Since I got the longest flip over people I think it would be awesome to attempt the highest flip too!”
Do you know a kid who'd love this story? We have a special version of it just for them on our kids' website here.
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