Sarasota 10-Year-Old Breaks Skip-It World Record

Sometimes the best gifts are the ones you never knew you wanted.

Kensington Kotuby opened an unexpected present on Christmas morning 2025: a Skip-It toy from Santa. The 10-year-old Sarasota resident was confused at first, but within hours, good-natured fun turned into competitive obsession.

Just one day later, on December 26, she became a Kids World Record holder. Kensington completed 1,154 consecutive skips in 15 minutes and 29 seconds, demolishing the previous record of 13 minutes and 27 seconds in the girls' 10 to 12-year-old division.

The Skip-It, a nostalgic toy from the 1980s and 90s, features a hoop that attaches to one ankle while a ball on a string rotates 360 degrees as the user jumps. Time Magazine even named it one of the greatest toys of all time back in 2011.

What started as family fun quickly escalated. Kensington's siblings and parents all tried to out-skip each other, but she left them in the dust. Her father Matthew, a former college baseball player, boldly claimed he could beat everyone but gave up once she hit the hundreds.

The pursuit came with real pain. Blisters formed on her ankles, requiring Band-Aids and double socks. The toy itself nearly gave up too, falling into the pool multiple times and "exploding" at one point, though it still works today.

Her athletic background helped fuel her determination. Kensington has competed in gymnastics for six years and jiu-jitsu for four, traveling across Florida and beyond for competitions. When she and her sister discovered an actual world record existed for Skip-It, the challenge was set.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story shine isn't just the record itself. It's watching a kid discover passion in the most unexpected package. Kensington's parents didn't push her toward this achievement. They simply gave her a toy, and she chose to see how far she could go. That self-motivation transformed a retro Christmas gift into local celebrity status, with news segments airing and classmates celebrating her return to Ashton Elementary after being sick.

Her competitive spirit hasn't dimmed either. When asked what she'll do if someone breaks her record, Kensington didn't hesitate: "I'll do it again. I'll go for an hour next time."

Sometimes all it takes is one unexpected moment to discover what you're capable of achieving.