On May 2, 2025, Olympian Frederick Richard broke the world record for the most backflips in 24 hours. However, the gymnast didn’t just break the record for fun.

In Stoughton, Massachusetts, Frederick “Flips” Richard broke the record for the most backflips done in 24 hours. Before Richard, the record was held by an Austrian parkour enthusiast with 1,001 backflips in 24 hours. The Olympic gymnast, Frederick Richard, broke the record by completing only a few more flips but 110 more backflips in 24 hours, totaling 1,111 standing backflips. Although breaking that record is astonishing, the reason behind it is even better. 

Aside from doing 1,111 backflips in one of Earth’s rotations, Frederick Richard raised money to give aspiring athletes and gymnasts in Africa gym equipment. Richard wants to provide the children with mats, springboards, trampolines, and storage facilities. As he posted his record-breaking journey on social media and many news channels, Richard raised over $30,000 for this cause. As of May 8, 2025, his GoFundMe for this fundraiser has raised $46,596 for the cause. 

Olympic medalist and student athlete Federick Richard at the University of Michigan has not only broken a record but also helped numerous children achieve their gymnastics dreams and goals.