This is what it takes to be a judge for Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records adjudicator Paulina Sapinska.  Photo by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2027

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Paulina Sapinska lives in superlatives. The biggest and the smallest, the shortest and the tallest. The most, least, quickest, longest.

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She’s a Guinness World Records adjudicator — one of 78 people who verify records for the brand. In her 10 years of carrying that distinction, Sapinska has adjudicated hundreds of record attempts. And in doing so, she’s gained insights into the human spirit that go beyond any concrete measurement.

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“I’ve learned that people are capable of achieving extraordinary things when they have the right mindset and truly believe they can do it,” she says. “While some people have incredible natural talent and skill, I’ve also seen ordinary people push themselves far beyond what they thought were their limits.”

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Sapinska, who born in Toronto and lived in Canada for over two decades, recalls her experience overseeing the “farthest distance crawling under barbed wire in 12 hours” record. Eric Hutterer, at the time a 25-year-old power line worker from Alliston, Ont., set the record by crawling 12.13 kilometres (7.54 miles) on July 13, 2018.

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Sapinska has also verified the “largest chain of people underwater” record, set by 182 divers in Koh Tao, Thailand, on Dec. 27, 2016. Another highlight was adjudicating the “largest Poco-poco dance” in Jakarta, Indonesia, which involved 52,121 participants on Aug. 5, 2018.

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Sapinska joined Guinness World Records in 2014 as an events and project manager, organizing large-scale record attempts, live events, and public relations launches. Then in 2016, she trained to become an adjudicator.

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Before she oversees an event, Sapinska meets with the organizer or would-be record breaker to review guidelines. Then, on the day of the attempt, she observes, counts, times, or measures as the record dictates. If needed, specialists help confirm the result.

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“There is often a lot of pressure to deliver the result quickly, as everyone involved is eager to find out whether the record has been broken. My priority is always to ensure the result is 100 per cent accurate while delivering the result as quickly as possible,” she says.

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“Once I am confident in the outcome, I prepare for the official announcement, which often involves presenting the result on stage or on video … I also have to be prepared to deliver the disappointing news that an attempt has failed.”

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Ah, failure. Always a possibility but never hoped for.

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Imagine crawling under barbed wire for 12 hours, maybe covered in mud like Hutterer was, and, as he told the Alliston Herald, “basically suffering from heat exhaustion.” Or Poco-poco-ing under the Jakartan sun with 52,120 other people, perhaps sweaty and cramping and miffed that someone keeps stepping on your foot.