Monty Estis Qualifies for Guinness World Record
Monty Estis, EPRD board member and avid pickleball player, has qualified for the Guinness World Records by holding the difficult planche position as the oldest person to do so on the gymnastics rings. He worked hard to be able to perform this skill in which the body is held parallel to the ground with arms straight out; considered to be one level more difficult than the iron cross.
Monty searched for a gym to practice and found that most places don’t allow adults to use gymnastics equipment. After some persistence in getting rules changed, he was allowed to work out at Wulf Rec Center.
He found he could still do many tricks he did when he was younger, but realized some were no longer possible. With the dedication he displays on the pickleball courts, Monty built his strength and performed the planche so well he decided to go for a Guinness World Record for his age, which would mean holding the position for at least 2 seconds.
After competing in gymnastics at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, Monty held various positions in IT and telecom as a systems engineer, developer, manager and business analyst. He retired early and never regretted leaving the corporate world. Currently, he tutors math a couple hours each week, and believes it is the most enjoyable work he has ever done.
His love of sports, including tennis, skiing, sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding and ice skating, led him to run for the EPRD board and has participated in enhancing programs for our community over the past 7 years.
Give Monty a thumbs up next time you see him on the courts. He has been a huge advocate for all things pickleball. One of the many contributions he made over the years is to extend playing time on the courts at Wulf and Marshdale.