Japanese skateboarder Ryusei Ouchi has managed to create unbelievable Guinness records — achieving the most skateboard ollies of 33 in one minute blindfolded and the most consecutive skateboard ollies blindfolded (142). For the unversed, the ollie is a skateboarding trick that involves snapping the tail of the board off of a surface and bringing your entire board up into the air.
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According to the Guinness website, Ryusei has lost 95 per cent of his vision as he suffers from retinitis pigmentosa condition where one loses their eyesight as the disease progresses.
“The more you lose your sight, the more you lose tricks. All the tricks you worked so hard to get are gone… only because you cannot see,” recollected the skater in a conversation with the records site.
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He first started skateboarding at the age of 14 when his eyesight was intact. “I went to my friend’s place, and he had a skateboard. And since we had nothing to do, we decided to give it a go,” he told the website. However, as he worked for days and months learning new tricks, picking up cuts and bruises along the way, a few years later, his eyesight started to deteriorate.
Ryusei has earned two incredible Guinness titles (Source: Guinness World Records.com)
After the record attempt, Ryusei said, “I was already gasping for breath less than 30 seconds in. I couldn’t help but laugh because I wasn’t even halfway. I didn’t know how many times I managed, but all I know is that my legs are so stiff right now.”
Remarkably, while there are record categories designed for those with visual impairments, Guinness site reported that Ryusei instead opted for a standard, blindfolded record title.
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He also shared why people should not give up on their dreams. “What I want to say is that if you have something you want to do, then you should do it. No excuses. Many people think up reasons for giving up. But I’d say: if you have time to waste thinking of reasons for quitting, think about how you can achieve it. Keep thinking hard about how you can fulfill your desire to do what you want. I hope my work will make more people realise that.”
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