Behind every sporting achievement is an epic tale as far as Tom Beckerlegge is concerned.
The sports fanatic and life-long Everton supporter loves nothing more than telling the inspirational tales of athletes who’ve defied the odds to make it into the record books.
Tom is our sports consultant and works throughout the year to dig up, verify and catalogue many of those history making moments you read about in the Guinness World Records book.
And it’s a bit of a pinch-me moment for Tom, who says he grew up reading newspapers backwards so he’d start with the sports section.
Growing up in the 80s and 90s, he didn’t have the luxury of being able to pick and choose from the endless sports coverage we see today, he had to simply flick through the TV channels available at the time in the hope of finding anything to do with the sporting world.
But now, he has every sporting event imaginable at his fingertips, and is taking us Behind the Scenes of his ongoing search for sport’s greatest stories.
One of the biggest challenges he faces is the countless different metrics used to measure sporting achievements, and explaining why each one is impressive to someone who doesn’t know anything about it.
But he reminds us that the story of how each athlete got there is what’s really important.
Tom said: “The thing is that a lot of the time the metric isn’t going to mean anything to people.
“Most of the stuff in the book, you can look at it and instantly understand it. You open the book and say, ‘wow that’s the tallest giraffe, that’s a great fact’, but if I say, ‘this person swam this distance with this stroke in this time’, people might not immediately understand that.
“It’s all about that second line of text. The metric is obviously crucial, but you need to explain it. I always think when editing, the first line is what it is, and the second line is why you should care.
“It’s all about finding the story in it and getting that across.”
Tom, who is also one of the book’s sub-editors, has found some cracking stories by keeping a close eye on what’s going on in the industry, while also digging deep into the archive to revisit incredible moments from history.
One of his favourites is Sandra Sánchez (Spain)’s record for most medals won in the Karate 1 Premier League.
He explained: “Sandra is one of the most decorated karate stars in history but the reason this record is a favourite of mine is her reaction upon learning she was in the GWR annual.
“She contacted us to express her delight and was eventually presented with her official certificate in a special presentation in Spain. Sportspeople can be forgiven for focusing solely on trophies and awards inside their own sport, so certificate presentations – whether it’s Cristiano Ronaldo or international rugby’s Test cap leader, Alun Wyn Jones, or sumo legend Hakuho Sho – are really important, as they show how keen even the most decorated athletes are to have a GWR world record.”
Tom is constantly looking for the next big thing, and if he tells you about an up-and-comer, it’s highly likely they’ll go on to dominate their sport within a few years.
One name that might not ring a bell just yet is Mia Brookes, the youngest snowboarding world champion, but it will soon enough!
Tom said: “If I can, I like to identify young sporting talent before they break out on to a global stage. In past years we’ve given early coverage for people like snowboarder Chloe Kim and middle-distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who’ve gone on to achieve incredible things in their sport.
“The UK’s Mia Brookes is one of a few teenage sports stars who’ve set records just these last few weeks who could go on to similar glory.
“There’s also 18-year-old Jordan Stolz, the youngest gold medallist at the World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships, and the 16-year-old swimmer Summer McIntosh, whose new world records are so fresh they haven’t even been ratified yet!”
Tom is also a big champion of parasports and is particularly proud of working on the most Winter Paralympic Games snowboarding gold medals for Dutch athlete Bibian Mentel-Spee.
He explained: “I’ve been sports consultant for two Winter Olympics and Paralympics now – they’re always a crazy time, as they’re always held in late spring and are usually the last major tournament we can get into the book.
“Snowboarder Bibian Mentel-Spee won her second and third Paralympic gold medals in 2018 having been diagnosed with cancer nine times. Sadly, she passed away in 2021. Her story was one of astonishing talent and resilience and her record is one that will always stay with me.”
Tom added: “I didn’t know anything about para sport when I started and I’m still educating myself about all the categories within each of the different disciplines. The language we use is very important as there’s a risk that people can, in a well-meaning way, present para athletes in ableist terms – whereas I want to make sure they are presented first and foremost as athletes.”
Among Tom’s favourites are Anastasia Pagonis (USA), who holds the title for fastest swim 400 m freestyle – S11 (female), with the S11 referring to the category her disability falls under.
Tom said: “She used her social media platform to explain some of the practicalities of competing as a blind swimmer – like how they need a ‘tapper’ to tap them on the head with a long pole or cane to warn them that the wall is approaching, and that they need to turn. It’s a great way to help people understand the intricacies of the event.”
Outside of GWR, Tom is a published author who has won awards for his children’s books – and believe us, he knows what makes a great story!
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Still not had enough? Follow the link here to buy our latest book, filled to the brim with stories about our amazing record breakers.
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