Today’s story, from UPI: Coworkers, mentalist help Idaho man break T-shirt folding world record (by Ben Hooper, UPI, August 17, 2026).
Beginner
Reading
David Rush is a man from Idaho. He loves breaking world records. He already has more than 200 world records.
This time, David wanted a new kind of record. He wanted to fold T-shirts fast with a team. He was on a work trip to Las Vegas.
David asked 10 coworkers to help him. He also asked a mentalist to join. A mentalist is a performer who does mind tricks.
The team needed to fold 36 T-shirts together. The old record was 2 minutes and 24 seconds. The team tried 10 times. On their last try, they folded all the shirts in 2 minutes and 19.65 seconds. They broke the record!
Vocabulary
- coworkers — people you work with
- mentalist — a performer who does mind tricks
- fold — to bend cloth or paper neatly
- team — a group of people working together
- record — the best result ever achieved
- attempt — a try at doing something
- disqualified — not allowed to count because of a mistake
- relay — an activity done in turns by a team
Comprehension Check
Discussion
- Would you want to try to break a world record? What kind?
- Why do you think it took the team 10 tries to succeed?
- Do you think folding T-shirts fast is a useful skill? Why or why not?
Intermediate
Reading
An Idaho man known for chasing unusual world records has added another title to his list, this time with the help of coworkers and a mentalist.
David Rush, who holds more than 200 concurrent Guinness World Records, attempted the record for the fastest time to fold 36 T-shirts in a relay team of 12 during a corporate team-building trip to Las Vegas. He recruited 10 coworkers and John Rotellini, a Las Vegas mentalist who had given a keynote speech the day before, to join his team.
The previous record stood at 2 minutes and 24 seconds. To beat it, the team needed both speed and precision, since a sloppy fold or an early step could disqualify the entire attempt.
It took the team 10 tries to get it right. Their early runs were filled with mistakes, Rush said, as some teammates rushed their folds while others jumped in too soon. On their tenth attempt, the team finally succeeded, finishing in 2 minutes and 19.65 seconds.
Vocabulary
- concurrent — happening or existing at the same time
- recruited — asked someone to join a group or effort
- keynote — the main speech at an event
- precision — exactness and accuracy
- sloppy — careless or messy
- disqualify — to rule someone out for breaking a rule
- attempt — an effort or try
- succeeded — achieved a desired result
Comprehension Check
Discussion
- The team failed nine times before succeeding on their tenth attempt. What does this suggest about the value of persistence?
- Why might a company choose an activity like this for team building instead of something more traditional?
- Rush said he still isn’t sure why some of these records exist, yet he pursues them anyway. What motivates people to chase unusual achievements like this?
Advanced
Reading
An Idaho man renowned for his prolific pursuit of unconventional world records has claimed another title, this time enlisting coworkers and a professional mentalist during a corporate retreat in Las Vegas.
David Rush, who holds more than 200 concurrent Guinness World Records, set his sights on the fastest time to fold 36 T-shirts in a relay team of 12. He assembled a team consisting of 10 coworkers and John Rotellini, a mentalist who had delivered a keynote address at the same event the previous day.
The existing record stood at 2 minutes and 24 seconds, a mark that demanded both speed and technical precision from the team. According to Rush, a single clumsy fold, a premature step, or any minor procedural violation was enough to invalidate an entire run.
The team’s path to the record was far from smooth. Rush described the early attempts as “a clinic in how not to run a relay,” citing a string of disqualifications caused by rushed folds and mistimed transitions. Only on their tenth attempt did the team execute a clean run, ultimately finishing in 2 minutes and 19.65 seconds to claim the title.
Vocabulary
- renowned — famous or well-known for a particular quality
- prolific — producing a large quantity of something, especially with great energy
- enlisting — persuading someone to help with a task
- retreat — an event where a group withdraws to a location for a shared purpose
- procedural violation — a failure to follow the correct rules or steps
- invalidate — to make something officially unacceptable or void
- clinic — (informal) an example demonstrating how something should, or should not, be done
- transitions — movements from one stage or step to another
Comprehension Check
Discussion
- The article highlights repeated failure as a central part of the team’s path to success. How does public failure, especially in a workplace or team setting, affect group dynamics and morale?
- Corporate team-building exercises range from serious problem-solving retreats to lighthearted challenges like this one. What do you think makes an activity effective for building trust and cooperation among coworkers?
- Rush is described as pursuing unconventional records somewhat for their own sake. How might a case like this illustrate the appeal of setting arbitrary but concrete goals, even when their practical value is unclear?
📣 Share This Lesson
Ten coworkers, one mentalist, thirty-six T-shirts, and a brand-new world record. Read today’s story and test your English. #ESL #EnglishLearning #immersionesl
Source: “Coworkers, mentalist help Idaho man break T-shirt folding world record” by Ben Hooper, UPI (August 17, 2026).