Adorable seven-year-old dons dozens of sweaters to take record, donates all to charity

After 50 sweaters – a little bit of teamwork – and lots of determination, seven-year-old Skyler Rozell-Whitaker (USA) is now a record holder. 

On 1 June, this kind-hearted kid attempted the Guinness World Records title for the most jumpers / sweaters worn at once, with the admirable mission of donating all of the materials to a clothing drive after winning the record.

Aided by his moms, and cheered on by his classmates, Skyler slipped on dozens of sweaters before beating the prior title of 46 by Hanmisha Voddineni (USA). Yet even as the temperatures rose – and the second grader swelled to the size of the Michelin Man – he didn’t stop until he hit 50… an achievement which spread a big smile across his face.

“Close to the end I was a little hot, but it was fun to dance and jump around with my friends when I was done,” said Skyler to GWR. “Everyone was hugging me, but I couldn't move my arms to hug back!”

Skyler, who just turned eight, said that he’s always wanted to hold a world record – but it took a while to think of something that he could achieve at his young age, while also incorporating his passion for giving back to the community. 

He volunteers alongside his family quarterly at a local clothing drive, and he was determined to combine those two interests during his attempt. 

As such, when they found the sweaters title, they knew it would be the perfect fit (pun intended).

Read more stories about record-breaking kids in our dedicated Arts and Entertainment section!

Before his big day, Skyler and his moms did a trial run to make sure that all of the clothes layered properly, and that he didn’t get too sweaty or overwhelmed. 

They collected dozens of options from local secondhand stores, and supplemented their stock with brand-new items from Walmart. And although it was summer outside, they practised their attempt indoors and next to a fan so that he always felt nice and cool.

“Once we knew Skyler was safe, comfortable, and happy, all that was left to do was organize and fold the sweaters by size,” said his mom, Patty Rozell-Whitaker. “And figure out whether he looked more like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man or Baymax by the end of the attempt!”

Finally, by 1 June, they were ready to take on the challenge. 

Skyler’s friends, family, and school were invited out to the public library in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, where they gathered in the children’s room to watch the spirited kid make history.

As his mom helped him pull the sweaters over his head, Skyler managed to remain mentally and physically cool during the attempt. Standing next to a fan, and absorbing the cheers from his excited audience, he remained very brave throughout the whole experience – even though, shockingly, he doesn’t enjoy wearing sweaters!

“My mom said it's funny that this is the record I went for, because I don't like sweaters,” he explained. “They are itchy and I'm a sensory kid and there's a lot of stuff that I won't wear because it doesn't feel good. So it didn't make sense other than to be silly and fun.”

In fact, he said his favourite part of the challenge was taking the sweaters off at the end: “I didn't like having them all on the back of my neck; it felt weird,” he added.

Nevertheless, Skyler managed to battle through the bristly feelings, even as each layer made him thicker and thicker – until, eventually, he was one away from reaching his goal of 50.

As the last sweater was patiently placed over his head, and its black hem was yanked over the mass of clothing, he looked positively joyful to realize he had succeeded. 

“It’s exciting and cool,” said Skyler. “I liked seeing all the videos and news articles that kept popping up. [I] was even on an Australian morning news show!”

And even though he’s a very busy kid – currently occupied with school, parkour/karate (orange belt status: secured), and playing with friends and his pets – Skyler says he’s officially been bitten by the record-breaking bug.

He’s going to help his moms with another attempt in October involving a bicycle, while also working on getting his elementary school and his best friend Liam their own titles. 

So here’s to hoping we see more great things from him in the future.

Congrats, Skyler – you’re Officially Amazing!