Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer.

Toddler sinks Guinness records

Snooker is a difficult game, made easier by a tonne of practice but one wee fella in Manchester, United Kingdom, is already shredding a few Guinness World Records with a number of trick shots. Although two year old Jude Owens’ feet can not touch the ground when he is at the table, he’s not letting that hamper him.

“Jude successfully performed a pool bank shot at two years and 302 days old on 12 October last year. The spectacle followed the child completing a snooker double pot just five weeks beforehand, when he was two years and 261 days old. The achievements make Jude officially the youngest person ever to perform both trick shots, as well as being one of the youngest double record holders in Guinness World Records history.

“Jude’s father, Luke Owens, first noticed his son’s natural ability at home, where snooker quickly became the toddler’s favourite hobby. Owens said that he would use bar stools for his son to reach the table given his height, but that the family now uses a stool they originally used while cooking. He added: ;I think for me, Jude’s achieved quite a lot in such a short space of time. But for him to achieve not just one, but two world records, it’s probably the pinnacle moment. How do you even beat that in life?'” (Source: “Two-year-old pots two Guinness World Records with snooker trick shots,” by Joe Coughlan, January 28, www.guardian.co.uk).

5 stars – as anyone will tell you, practice, practice, practice – if Jude can do this at two – Imagine what he may do as he gets older!

Kiwi sailor close to amazing feat

New Zealand sailor Rebecca Gmür Hornell is about to create history with an all female crew looking to be the first to sail non-stop around the globe. Monday night NZ time the crew of the trimaran, The Famous Project will establish the record when their vessel crosses the finish line near the French island of Ushant.

“‘There’s not many firsts left in the world and being able to be one of the first in something is pretty amazing,’ Gmür Hornell said. The Project is made up of a crew of eight female sailors representing seven nationalities. The crew includes sailors from different backgrounds, ranging from Olympic, offshore racing and record breaking attempts. According to their website, their purpose is to inspire future generations and challenge perceptions of what can be achieved at the highest levels of competitive sailing.

“‘Women don’t get the opportunity to sail in these kinds of boats very often and making this more normal for women is really important to help us get further in the sport,’ Gmür Hornell added.” (Source: “Kiwi sailor on the verge of historic feat with all female crew,” January 26, www.stuff.co.nz).

5 stars – here’s hoping the crew of The Famous Project and Rebecca Gmür Hornell get to write their names into saling history. Total upside!

Climber defies the odds

As a member of the not comfortable with heights club, I was both amazed and horrified by the exploit of US climber, Alex Honnold who recently scaled the 508 metre Taipei 101 Tower without any ropes or safety equipment.

“Honnold’s free solo climb of the iconic building in Taiwan’s capital city was being broadcast live on Netflix with a 10-second delay. The ascent, originally scheduled for Saturday, was delayed for 24 hours due to rain. The climb drew both excitement and concern over the ethical implications of attempting such a high-risk endeavour on live broadcast.