American mom does over 5,000 jumping jacks in one hour to top male AND female records

An American math teacher, mother, and lifelong athlete has claimed an incredible title for the most jumping jacks in one hour (female) after completing a mind-blowing 5,023 on the afternoon of 24 April. 

Setting the record for women – as well as surpassing the male record holder by 269 jumping jacks – Judy Crawford-King (USA) was inspired to compete after learning about the fitness feats from 61-year-old DonnaJean Wilde (Canada).

Judy was 51 years old when she crushed her attempt, and she told GWR that the best part was seeing her son proudly clapping and smiling once she overcame the male record and still had several minutes to go. 

“During my attempt, I was focused and determined to beat the male record,” she said. “... If I say I am going to do something, I am going to give it my all – and I did. My goal was 5,000, and I did 5,023.”

She later added: “I was elated, not just for myself, but for all women” – mentioning that she couldn’t have done it without the amazing support she received from her loved ones throughout the challenge. 

Her highest-performing round was within the final minutes of the attempt, and she powered through to the finish after seeing their excited faces while she made fitness history.

Introduced to athletics by her older sister Kasey, Judy has been running since she was eight years old, throwing herself into various high-intensity fitness challenges like marathons and triathlons. She ran her first 26.2 mi (42 km) race in her late twenties, and her first triathlon in her thirties – going on to compete at the Boston Marathon, and later running 100 mi (161 km) in 22 hours during her forties. 

Nourishing a lifelong love of working out, she says that she was sitting with her athletic son Matthew one day when they were brainstorming new health goals for her to aspire to. The pair started combing through Guinness World Records titles, eventually discovering DonnaJean Wilde’s planking and push up records that she obtained in her late fifties. 

“With the gloomy weather of January and not having a fitness goal in 10 years, I decided that I needed motivation for the winter,” said Judy. “There was not a record for most jumping jacks in an hour by a female, so I applied for this one. My goal was to establish this record for the women and to beat the male record [set by Luis Portela (Panama)] in 2021 of 4,754.”

Read more stories about record-breaking workouts in our dedicated Sports and Fitness section!

With a lengthy bucket list acquired over two decades of trying new things, Judy was dead-set on accomplishing this new goal, demonstrating a strong conviction and passion for her health and her life. 

“For me, to live is to be curious about possibilities and enjoy the journey [of the process],” she said. “These possibilities can be about travel, family, fitness, friends, career, or anything you are curious about. Challenge your mind, spirit, and body.”

And this ideology motivated her in other ways, too – throughout her 20 years as a teacher for students with learning differences, and in her private life, volunteering for a crisis nursery, homeless shelters, and hospice facilities.

She throws herself into these vocations just as passionately as she does with her fitness and her freetime – spending an adventurous life alongside her wife, Lisa, their children, and the rest of their friends and family.

After all, if she can swim with sharks and hike up Angel’s Landing in Utah, why couldn’t she break a Guinness World Records title?

Judy and her witnesses, prior to starting her attempt

And with that said, Judy started spending her January doing jumping jacks. 

Prior to her attempt, she already worked out at least five days a week, consisting of cardio and weights. Yet throughout the next four months, she would sprinkle in 10 minutes of jumping jacks twice a week, gradually increasing her time until she was at one hour in April. 

For the attempt itself, her witnesses and timekeepers had to alternate every five minutes to keep score – but the determined jumper never stopped even once during the hour event. 

And for the duration of the challenge, she was cheered on by a loud and enthusiastic crowd of loved ones, each delighted to see her once again conquer her goals.

“It was a relief to have attempted the record,” she said, once everything was over. “This was all possible due to my wife, son, dad, sisters, niece, and friends, who were able to be there with me during the attempt.”

And she encourages anyone else out there with a dream – like hers – to challenge themselves to experience that feeling of accomplishment at least once in their lives. 

“If you think you want to do something, start with small increments and continue building on it. Regardless of gender, age, time in your day, or any other factor, just try.”

So congratulations, Judy – you are Officially Amazing!