Rotating one’s feet back to front by almost 180 degree seems impossible but not for a 32-year-old woman, Kelsey Grubb, from New Mexico who has set a Guinness World Record for the “largest foot rotation (female)” with a 171.4-degree twist.
Kelsey Grubb told Guinness World Records that she found out about the record when her colleague read about it, “I work at a library and the newest world record book (2021) had just come out. A co-worker was flipping through and randomly opened to the page with the largest foot rotation and said ‘ew! That’s so gross. Naturally, I looked over her shoulder and said, ‘I think I can do that’.”
She further said, “I always knew I was flexible there but had assumed most people could turn their foot farther than 90 degrees out.”
While many records require one to practise before the final attempt, Grubb did not necessarily feel the need to prepare.
One would think that the ability to turn one’s feet 171.4 degrees comes with no added benefits, but this unique ability has helped Grubb with her ice-skating hobby as it allows her to turn around more swiftly.
The record for the “largest foot rotation (male)” is held by Aaron Ford from Utah, also in the US. He can rotate his feet by 173.03 degrees.