Ever since he was a young child, Stephen Quinlan has wanted to be a world-record holder.

Originally from the United Kingdom, he grew up watching the BBC show Record Breakers, a children’s show that followed contestants as they sought to break a myriad of Guinness World Records.

Now, he’s getting ready to fulfill that dream.

Major metropolitan cities around the world have record holders for fastest time to travel all of the city’s rapid transit stations, including New York, Munich and London where The Tube Challenge has been captivating aspiring world-record holders since 1959.

“I think now Vancouver should have a record set,” says Steve, who will attempt the world record for the fastest time to travel to all SkyTrain stations on May 4. It should take him about three hours travel to all 53 stations. He’ll start at Richmond-Brighouse Station at around 1:30 p.m. and finish at VCC-Clark Station at around 4:30 p.m.

It’s been a lengthy process for Steve and setting the record will be a culmination of more than a year of planning and hours of practicing.

“At first I thought it should be quite easy, but it’s been over a year in the planning and the level of detail you have to do is incredible in order for Guinness to recognize it,” says Steve.

When The Buzzer caught up with Steve, it was no surprise that he was riding the rails in preparation for his latest trial run. Steve hopes his final full rehearsal with his entire team on April 29 will be sufficient preparation for the big day.

“We went every step as if it is the actual day,” says Steve, who has practiced about eight times in total. “I now know which is the best door on the SkyTrain car to take the photo of me with the station name in the background.”

On the day, he’ll have a designated official timekeeper, two independent witnesses, a videographer and a photographer to help document the entire world record setting attempt.

The videographer will have a camera on Steve the entire time as evidence he rode the SkyTrain uninterrupted, while the photographer will take a photo of him at every station with the doors open and the station name in the background as evidence he stopped at that station.

Steve expects the evidence he’ll submit to Guinness to total more than 50 pages in length!

This Friday, Steve will ride from the Canada Line’s Richmond–Brighouse Station to Bridgeport Station, then to YVR Airport Station and back, before continuing onwards to Waterfront Station. There, he will ride the Expo Line to King George Station and back to Columbia Station where he will transfer to a Production Way–University Station bound SkyTrain to Lougheed Station. At Lougheed Station, he’ll transfer to the Millennium Line to Lafarge Lake–Douglas Station and ride it back towards to VCC–Clark Station.

“I firmly believe that records are for breaking,” says Steve, adding he’s more than welcome to help the next person to plan their world record attempt.

May the Fourth be with Steve this Friday as he attempts to set a world record for fastest time to travel to all SkyTrain stations!

UPDATE: Steve traveled to all 53 SkyTrain stations in 2:49:37, setting the unofficial world record. He will now submit evidence to Guinness World Records to have it officially recognized!

Author: Allen Tung