Ashton schoolgirl spins her way into the record books

A nine-year-old girl from Ashton has twirled her way into history after setting not one, but two world records for hula hooping.

Isla, a pupil at St Christopher’s RC Primary and Nursery School – where her mum Diane also teaches – has been officially recognised by the Worldwide Book of Records for completing an astonishing 44,348 spins of a hula hoop around her waist in six hours.

She has also been honoured by the International Book of Records for the longest continuous hula hoop spin on the waist, clocking in at an incredible five hours and 55 minutes.

What began as a playground pastime quickly grew into something much bigger. Isla first discovered her talent during break times at school, when she and her friends would challenge each other to see who could keep the hoop spinning the longest.

“I just started at school in the playground,” Isla explained. “In Year 2, all my friends were hula hooping. We were seeing who could do it for the longest.”

But the idea of breaking a world record came from Isla herself, after she stumbled upon the challenge online.

“I just Googled it and saw,” she said. “At first, I thought it was an hour and a half, but then we found out it was actually over four hours. I still thought I could do it.”

Her mum Diane admitted she was sceptical at first but was soon blown away by her daughter’s determination.

“She just wouldn’t let it go. She kept saying, ‘Will you apply? Will you apply?’” Diane recalled. “When we found out the record was four and a half hours, I told her she’d really need to do five. She just looked at me and said, ‘I can do that.’”

After practicing at home proved too cramped, the school hall was opened up during the holidays for Isla’s record attempts. Her first try ended in disappointment after two and a half hours, but far from giving up, Isla became even more determined.

“She was like, ‘I’m going to do it again tomorrow.’ I had to tell her no, but the next attempt she was a completely different child – so focused and determined,” said Diane.

That determination paid off. On her second attempt, Isla pushed past the five-hour mark, refusing to stop even when her mum told her she’d done enough. “I can carry on a bit longer,” she told her mum - and carried on she did, reaching nearly six hours.

Remarkably, she managed the feat with little food or drink, only taking the occasional sip of water and half a brioche bun during the challenge.

Hula hooping has already taken Isla far. A few years ago, on a family holiday, she entered a talent competition at a caravan park. Initially unsure of what to perform, she borrowed a hoop from the entertainment team and came up with a routine that included walking, running, and even climbing stairs while hooping. To everyone’s surprise, she won – eventually going on to compete in the national finals in Devon, where she placed second.

Isla doesn’t only have a love for hula hooping. Her weeks are packed out with other activities like drama club and swimming for her local club.

Her mum summed it up best: “She’s just got this determination. She wants to succeed. Once she sets her mind on something, she won’t stop until she’s done it.”

Isla with her international book of world records certificate for the longest time to spin a hula hoop around waist