At only 15 years old, Simeon Graham from Birmingham, UK has broken three records with his incredible juggling skills:
- most juggling catches in one minute (five balls) - 423
- most juggling catches in one minute (six balls) -396
- most juggling catches in one minute (seven balls) - 378
Simeon is a teenage circus prodigy who has been training relentlessly and honing his technique for eight years now: “I’m focused on becoming the best ball juggler that I can possibly be,” he told us.
For years he has been looking up at his juggling idols, such as Luca Pferdmenges and Josh Horton, who hold multiple record titles, dreaming of the day that he would finally gain a title of his own.
Simeon discovered his passion quite randomly when he was seven years old: “I was sent home from school because I had chicken pox. Also, that day, we spoke about what we wanted to be when we were older and I wasn't sure what I wanted to be.
“I got home and decided to fend off boredom by learning how to juggle. I learnt by watching YouTube videos!”
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Within a few years, Simeon was confidently juggling five balls – that’s when his parents decided to recruit a teacher to help improve his routines and posture.
Today, he performs with the Circus Mash group and has even appeared as a guest artiste with Gandeys Circus.
The teenage juggler is a natural-born performer.
When he recently visited the Guinness World Records Headquarters in London, UK, he was happy not only to showcase his skills in front of a large audience of employees, but also to teach them some of the juggling basics!
He also runs his own YouTube channel, giving tutorials for beginners and fellow performers.
I like being a teacher for the next generation of jugglers, so they can become better jugglers than myself.
According to Simeon, hand-eye coordination and dexterity will only get you so far in the juggling world: “Perseverance, determination and resilience are just as important.”
When asked about the most balls that he can juggle at once, Simeon said:
I’ve achieved an 11-ball flash on camera. My dream is to one day be able to surpass Alex Barron’s all-time record of 14 balls… I’m determined to make it to 15 balls!
Simeon can juggle other objects too, such as clubs, but for now, he’s keeping his eyes on the ball.
So what does his training entail?
“In the summer, I practise outside for at least an hour a day. However, in the winter, I get less time to practise outside because the weather is bad. But I’ve also learned how to juggle inside, under a low ceiling!”
His talent has made Simeon very popular amongst his classmates and friends: “My friends think that [what I do] is really cool. One time, my friend came to see me perform and he loved it!”
Having a growing collection of Guinness World Records titles to juggle with at such a young age, the teen circus star is determined to keep challenging himself and go after more titles in the future.
His goal is to turn his passion into an exciting career: “I have been attending classes at the Circus Mash school for the past six years, because I want to become a professional circus performer when I am older.”
Simeon’s advice to any juggling beginners out there is:
“First of all, never get angry while juggling. Secondly, have fun with it – if you’re not having fun, you simply won’t learn.
“Finally, never give up; this is not just advice for juggling, but advice for life. If you give up, you will never reach your full potential.”
The thing that I most love about what I do is inspiring other people to start a hobby that they are passionate about and love doing. Being inspirational is the coolest characteristic to have.
Welcome to the Guinness World Records family, Simeon; we can’t wait to see what record you will break next.
See Simeon in Guinness World Records 2024 - out now!
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