Carolena Kruse, 14, puts her socks on really fast. In fact, she holds a Guinness World Record
She'll knock your socks off with how fast she puts on her socks.
Carolena Kruse, a 14-year-old competitive swimmer from Calgary, is the Guinness World Record holder for most socks put on one foot in 30 seconds in the under-16 category.
That's 22 socks, up from the previous record of 19, set by Aarif Ibn Abdul Halim in India in May.
"You really just have to focus on just putting on the socks and just keep on going," Kruse said in an interview on the Calgary Eyeopener.
"You are allowed to start with one sock on your foot, which is nice."
Kruse set the record on Aug. 27. She just received her official certificate this week.
She says she grew up loving to read the Guinness World Records books and thought it would be fun to try to break one.
So, after completing a swimming competition in July, she got to work.
The first problem? Finding the right socks. They have to go over your ankle, have no holes and be store-bought to qualify, she says.
"Some of them aren't high enough to go on cause your foot gets really big," she said. "It took me a couple tries."
Still, she tied the previous record on her first attempt, sitting on the floor with socks in a pile in front of her. Within a few days, she was feeling pretty confident.
Kruse's mother, Marta, says her daughter asked for help only to film the video she would eventually send to Guinness. It has to be recorded in a specific way, ensuring the timer is clearly visible.
"Carolena is very driven.… When she puts her mind to something, she does it," she said.
"It was fun to see her, because when you see your kids trying new things and don't be afraid to do things … I think it's a way to show that anyone, if they put their mind to it, can achieve their goals."
A spokesperson for Guinness says applications are free of charge, and once one is accepted, they send contenders a set of guidelines for their category and a list of evidence needed to verify a record.
They receive thousands of applications every week, with a fair number coming from Albertans.
Recent records set by people in this province include the longest ice hockey marathon (261 hours, 15 seconds), the most skips over a rope in one hour by an individual (14,657) and the largest collection of Lego Star Wars interlocking plastic brick sets (858).
For Kruse, her record is no big deal.
She hasn't told many friends about her accomplishment, but she does hope to try for more in the future.
There's an adult record in her category, which sits at 28. Or, she may test her swimming skills.
"It was kind of just for me, the record, because I didn't really want to, like, prove it to anyone or anything," she said.
"I was like, it would just be something nice just for me to have for myself.… It was really fun."
