Bloemfontein student breaks Guinness World Record for most splits
A Bloemfontein student broke the Guinness World Record for completing the most splits in one minute.
A young boy from Bloemfontein has officially set a new Guinness World Record.
Chaz Wilson, a 12-year-old learner from Universitas Primary School (Tjokkies) in Bloemfontein, is now a Guinness World Record holder after performing 47 splits in just 60 seconds.
The achievement sets a new global record in the men’s category.
The successful attempt took place at Chaz’s school on 15 October 2025, where he was cheered on by a crowd of enthusiastic classmates and teachers.
His mother, Ariena Wilson, told News24 the idea started during a braai in December 2024 while Chaz and his cousin, Charlene, were scrolling through videos.
“We were at my mother’s house for a braai when he and his cousin, Charlene, were watching videos. They came across Liberty Barros’s record in the female category, which at the time was 42 splits. When he saw it, he immediately said he could do it too,” Wilson said.
Chaz began practising in the living room that same day.
Ariena said that, to enter for the record, she had to go through a complex administrative process.
“I first had to figure out how the Guinness World Records (GWR) process works, because it’s not as simple as just sending a video.”
The road to the title involved strict adherence to international guidelines to ensure the attempt was valid.
“I had to create an account on the Guinness website and submit a request to attempt the record. After that, they send you a whole document with rules that need to be followed,” Ariena explained.
“There had to be timekeepers, independent witnesses, slow-motion videos and a recording of the entire event. It was quite a process.”
The school was chosen as the venue to satisfy the GWR requirement for a public setting with independent officials present.
While Chaz initially only needed to clear 30 splits to claim the title, the pressure mounted when another person reached 46 splits in September.
“We were nervous because Chaz had only done one more. We just had to hope everything would be approved.”
After a period of waiting, the family received the official confirmation last week.
“It was just one attempt. He did it once, and everything went smoothly. We didn’t feel there was a need to do it again.”
Reflecting on his new status as a world-beater, Chaz simply said the experience “feels great”.
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