Wisconsin dad breaks world record for most pushups done in a year

Over the last year, it didn't matter what Nate Carroll was doing — whether he was in his office, mowing the lawn, or sitting in church, he'd drop and start doing pushups.

Carroll, 45, is a social worker in Wisconsin. Wanting to raise money for the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, which helps the families of first responders who died in the line of duty, he decided on June 14, 2020, that he would break the world record for most pushups done in a year. The record was set by British athlete Paddy Doyle in October 1989, and earlier this month, Carroll appeared to shatter it when he finished his 1,500,231st pushup.

The Guinness Book of World Records is now working to verify the number. Carroll kept his supporters in the loop during the last year, recording his pushup sessions and posting them to YouTube. He would average more than 4,100 pushups a day, but that's not too surprising to people who know Carroll — he has always been a competitive athlete, is a long-distance runner, and has completed two Ironman triathlons.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Carroll told The Wisconsin State Journal last month that he had to balance work, being a dad, and hitting his pushup goal, but it was important that he bring attention to Tunnels to Towers. "I try to weave my pushups into my daily activity," he said. "To set aside time to do 4,000 pushups is impossible. You have to really make it a priority and be willing to commit to it and embrace the fact that you have to weave that into your day."

YouTube

Watch On