MITCHELLVILLE, Iowa — A man from central Iowa has broken the Guinness World Record for the fastest motorized wheelbarrow.

John Loghry from Saylorville, Iowa retired a few years ago and since then has been trying to find ways to fill his time. Around a year ago John came across the record for fastest motorized wheelbarrow and decided it was something he wanted to do.

“It started mostly when I retired from my job,” said Loghry. “Something to do and I have a nice shop, so it gets me out of the house. So, I was out there just tinkering with stuff, and I made a motorized wheelbarrow. I wondered how fast it could go and I wondered if there was a record, sure enough there’s a world record. I couldn’t believe it; I thought I was the only one who could think of something like that.”

The journey to Saturday has been a long one, not only has construction on the wheelbarrow taken awhile, but getting Guinness to approve the project has taken time. Loghry had to send photo proof of the wheelbarrow so they could check that it was within the guidelines. He then had to secure an official, like a police officer, to document the event and confirm the speed with a speedometer.

John reached out to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and found someone willing to help set up the event. To make sure John had a smooth and safe area to drive, they picked a rural street in Mitchellville and blocked it off.

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, John finally saw his dream become a reality. Friends and family gathered in support of John, even neighbors of the area stopped by for the big moment.

When John began working on his wheelbarrow the record was 47 mph, Loghry set the new record at 57 mph.

John also used this opportunity to bring attention to one of his favorite charities, Wounded Warriors. A veteran himself, John began volunteering at the VA hospital twice a week after he retired. All the donations gathered at the event will be donated to Wounded Warriors and those who donated had the unique opportunity to get a specialized Guinness World Record poker chip.

Despite the long journey to the finish line and the bumps along the way, John say’s this experience has been truly inspiring. He hopes that this inspires others to think outside the box and try new things.

“If you think you can do it, try it. I mean, I’m living proof you can do it. Don’t let anything stop you.

John says that once he has the official police report he will gather all of his evidence and send it to Guinness. John hopes to send them his evidence within the next few weeks.