Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there. Bo Jackson

Thursday, August 26, 2021, 7 am until Friday, August 27, 2021, 5 pm!!! That was the goal set by a 12-year-old boy who loved to swing. He wanted to beat the Guinness Book of World Record for the longest marathon on a swing. 32 Hours 2 seconds was the current record set in New Zealand; Sean Lewis set out to reach his own goal of 34 hours. Sean came up with this idea during the Corona Virus of 2020 that was infecting the globe. Swinging on a rope swing wasn’t new to Sean; if you ever drove through the Village of East Rochester, there is a good chance you saw Sean out on his swing. He was out there no matter the weather.

He told his parents that he wanted to try to break the GBWR, and a plan was put into action. The application was filled out (noted on there that Sean was 12 and had his parents’ permission). The witness spots filled out with the help of great friends, and equipment was purchased to make sure the entire event was recorded. The only thing left was to find 34 hours that this busy family could dedicate to these efforts. It needed to be before school started full time (after a year of remote learning because of the pandemic) and could not interfere with Sean and his two sisters' sports schedules. One look at the calendar, and Thursday, August 26, 2021, 7 am until Friday, August 27, 2021, 5 pm was the ONLY slot that would work. That was it; there was no rain date scheduled, just fingers crossed that it would work.

That week as word spread of Sean’s attempt, our friends texted us weather reports for the date. It looks like thunder and lightning will be coming thru on Thursday. Fantastic, our son will be on a rope swing hanging from a giant oak tree, and now they are calling for lightning? We can’t control that, so we just moved forward with our setup. A tent was placed over the computer equipment that will be used for the recording of the entire event. The recording must show Sean, the swing, the digital clock on the tree, and the witness table. The witness table was set up with two chairs and logbooks for documentation. Our dear friend, Margaret Henry, would be there to organize and set up witness shifts and pass out Fla-Vor-Ice. Our friends brought a massive spotlight over so Sean could be seen during the wee hours, and our other friends brought over firewood to keep the fire pit blazing overnight. Sean’s swinging area was blocked off because nobody could touch the swing except Sean during the event. A banner was placed on the corner of the street announcing what would happen and please come and support Sean in his attempts.

Wednesday, August 25th, things started to get crazy. Primetime 585 (an amazing husband and wife team that covers local high school athletes in Rochester) got word of Sean’s attempt and was so excited they came and interviewed Sean. Word spread, and next thing you know, Spectrum news arrived for another interview. Social Media was buzzing, and the skies were still looking like we would be ok.

Thursday, August 26, 2021—the morning of the BIG event. Everybody in the house was up by five am making sure everything was in place. It looked like the weather was not going to rain but instead be a solid 86 degrees, YIKES. Sean stepped outside at about 6 am and did a few more tv/radio interviews. His official photographer (a requirement for the record), Jan Case, was there and documented every milestone. 7 am came, and he pushed off on his first swing to reach his goal. Our most asked question was how he would go to the bathroom. Sean had the choice of 2 strategies. He could swing for an hour and take a 5-minute break, or swing for 4 hours and take a 20-minute break. Sean chose the 2nd option, and the Witnesses made sure Sean stuck to the exact schedule. After every hour Sean completed swinging, his mom, Kelly, would ring a bell. The bell was also rung at the start and end of breaks. Sean’s grandparents drove up from Pennsylvania, and his Mamo and Papa were watching from above. This event would make them proud and would be right up their alley.

Sean handled the heat like a champ (though his entire wardrobe was black). Midway through, his backend was sore. His sister Samantha and friend Elizabeth rode to Dick’s to buy Sean some biker shorts for padding. His dad Matt was playing DJ and was taking Sean’s request. Sean’s other sister Meghan was preparing whatever snacks Sean wanted on his next break. By this time, the word was spreading even more. Hundreds of strangers were driving by to watch Sean and would honk their horns and yell out their car windows to encourage him. The East Rochester School Faculty and staff walked over to cheer him on, and many former teachers acted as official witnesses to the event.

As evening drew closer, Sean was getting tired and sorer. His friend Dominic brought him a massage gun which helped Sean with his leg cramps. We saw Sean hit the wall more than once, but somehow, he would get a second and third wind and keep going. His friend Eliott stoked the fire overnight, and Miles and Louis helped keep Sean awake by playing Madden with him. Xander, Sean’s best friend, and his dad rode bikes over at midnight to keep him going. It is amazing how these kids kept the energy up. They passed the time thinking about what GBWR they would set. Most of them tried to break the eating the most saltines in a minute record (none were successful, thankfully, Bubby and Lenore brought us bottled water). Marks, Domino’s, Salvatores Pizzerias, and Dunkin Donuts sent over food and drink, so many neighbors and even the ER Mayor and his wife dropped off snacks for Sean.

Once Friday morning arrived, we were all thrilled. The most challenging part, the overnight, was over. More and more news media were gathering in the yard. Most of them are thankful to cover a happy news story rather than the depressing ones they usually cover. Kelly kept distant friends and family updated via Facebook Live, and Sean had fans all over the US and Canada rooting for him. To get Sean through some of the hours on Friday, we tried to entertain him. Friends stepped up to juggle for him, tell jokes, play the fiddle and act out charades. Margaret Henry even did burpees. Everyone helped to keep Sean motivated. Sean’s Pre-K teacher Mrs. Acello led the kids in a sing-along (insert tears here). Mrs. Acello spoke directly to Sean in her calm, soothing voice, telling him how proud of him she was and he could do it.

At 3:02 pm on Friday, Sean broke the existing GBWR time. Two more hours until his goal was reached. Friday wasn’t quite as hot as Thursday but still pretty warm. The local bar down the street, Prince George'ssent up food for all the spectators. The ERPD and the ERFD sent trucks, cars, and sirens parading by for motivation. The Rocky theme blaring from the ladder truck was clutch. You could tell how hot and tired Sean was. He was so close. About 45 minutes from his goal, we thought he might get off. The crowd was gathering, and from a distance, you could hear chanting from the next street down. It was getting louder and louder—-until you saw the boy’s ER Varsity soccer team turn the corner,r and the chant became clear, “Sean, Sean, Sean.” That was it; this would motivate this 12-year-old boy to reach his goal. The soccer team, plus the crowds of people in the yard and driving by, would help this boy reach his goal no matter what. It was taking a village, but it was just what this village needed at the time.

Minutes before his goal, there were camera teams from all over. They were interviewing Sean’s family, friends, and teammates, and they were all so supportive and excited for Sean. The news cameras were set up to do their live interviews with Sean after he broke the record. At 5:02:03, Sean stepped off his swing and walked into the house with his signature smile and a wave. Just like Forrest Gump, he was pretty tired, and he was going to go home. Sean was up and sound asleep in his bed by 5:05 pm, knowing he had reached his goal with so much help from his family, old and new friends. Thank you all for the support!!