RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – Jump ropes, hundreds of them, whipped around the blacktop clear across the football-sized field of Serra Catholic Elementary School as 1,400 people helped to set a new world record today.
Students, teachers, parents and staff jumped rope at the same time – to the tune of the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” – at exactly 9 a.m. as part of a group of 80,000 people statewide jumping to make the Guinness World Record book.
At Serra Catholic, the jump ropes were on loan from the Irvine office of the American Heart Association to help surpass the record set by Australia in May 2008 of 59,000 rope skippers.
Parent Kim O’Donahue brought this morning’s jump-rope event to the Rancho Santa Margarita school.
O’Donahue’s son, Sean, 12, was born with multiple heart defects and received a transplant when he was 4. The youngster has inspired the 995 students at the kindergarten through eighth grade school to raise money for the American Heart Association and participate in today’s challenge.
“We have probably the most generous and giving families,” O’Donahue said.
Adults and kids jumped for five full minutes. The youngest jump ropers have been practicing in their P.E. class, said P.E. teacher Jenny Lewis.
Lewis said she taught her kindergarten to third-grade students, “The jump rope hits the ground before you jump.”
Even the school’s principal Angeline Trudell jumped in her high heels. Trudell said the school-wide event was a boost to school spirit.
Meanwhile, students are excited to potentially make it into the Guiness World Record Book.
“It will be cool to see it in the book,” said Curtis Bush, 12.
Contact the writer: rkesarwani@ocregister.com or 949-454-7347
