Breaking a world record

Shannon LeClair

Times Reporter

 

Making it into the Guinness Book of World Records isn’t the easiest task, but one Strathmore woman managed to do it. Melissa Crispin-Piche’s picture can be seen on Page 10 of the 2011 version of the book. A few years ago someone had broken the record for the most dogs walked which she believes was 17 dogs for 11 minutes. 

“I said ‘pfft, I can totally do that’,” said Crispin-Piche. 

She was already walking dogs around town, and on an average day she was walking up to 12.  She knew she could beat the previous record and so she set out for it. 

“My goal was 25, and we had more than that. We stared with 32 dogs and ended with 27,” said Crispin-Piche. 

At first she said it was a bit of a mess, but it ended up turning into an awesome walk. She started at Kinsmen Park, went up Main Street, along Wheatland Trail and down Brent Boulevard.  

“I think when I clocked it, it was a little over four kilometres that we walked that day with all the dogs and it took me 43 minutes.” 

The actual process to make it into the book was quite the undertaking and took a little while. You have to email to tell them your intentions, and then they send you the paperwork. 

“You can’t just do it without having all the paper work first, there’s certain stipulations and regulations that you have to follow,” said Crispin-Piche. 

She had to have witnesses. One had to be a vet or a doctor of some sort and a legal rep, and she needed dog owners signatures, dog names, video tape, pictures at a certain pixel, and two timers. They could have had someone from Guinness come out, but they would have had to pay for the flight, hotel, and other expenses so they decided to do it themselves.  

Crispin-Piche has been collecting Guinness books since about 1988. She used to read through them as a kid and would find the differences and mistakes and would write them. They would write her back and so it has always been something she is interested in. 

She was told they could never guarantee that she would be in there because they have so many people breaking and making records each year. They told her they always pick the most visually appealing. She knew that the pictures were good and was just crossing her fingers that she would make it into the book. When she got the plaque last year, she knew she had made it.

Crispin-Piche said without the support of friends, family and the community she isn’t sure she would have been able to do it.  Her bucket list is now three quarters complete but she said she is done taking on record-breaking events.  

“No more records, I think I might be through with the records, having a young family. I think that’s more important than records. I have one and that was all I ever really wanted so that was pretty great.  Everyone will just have to wait and see what my next big adventure is going to be.”