Kerala schoolkid claims world record in memorising
By Ashraf Padanna in Thiruvananthapuram
KERALA SCHOOLBOY Jose Lawrence can memorise up to 250 words within a few minutes and recollect them in the same order, without making a mistake. Lawrence, a Class X student at the Christ Nagar School in Thiruvananthapuram, claims to have broken the world record set by 13- year- old Nischal Narayanam at the World Memory Championship held in Bahrain last year.
Narayanam, a Class VII student of Gitanjali School, Hyderabad, had set the world record for memorising 225 random objects after beating his trainer squadron leader Jayasimha’s record of 200 objects.
Lawrence displayed his skills in front of mediapersons at the Press Club in the state capital on Saturday, in the presence of his parents and teachers. Lawrence was not only able to recall all the names and objects suggested by the journalists but he also remembered the numbers assigned to them. “ Initially, we thought it’s just a kid’s play.
Then he surprised us by excelling in almost every field — inventions at the science fairs, drawing, painting, swimming and driving,”
Jose Lawrence memorised 250 words within a few minutes
said Father Paul Mangat, the school principal. “ We are trying to get his name into the Guinness Book of World Records”. Lawrence practises memory skills for 150 minutes every night before going to bed.
“ I don’t miss an opportunity to prove my skills. I have already performed the memory game on 70 stages,” Lawrence said. “ Now people call me ‘ Memory Jose’,” he added. Son of A. J. Lawrence, a scientist with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre ( VSSC), he wants to become a computer engineer.
“ He first participated in a state- level memory power competition while he was in Class VI and he came second, remembering 58 out of the 60 words that were given to remember,” recalls his mother Rani, a businesswoman.
He usually memorises the names of objects, film stars and politicians. But at the Press Club, the audience suggested almost all major Kerala newspapers for him to remember and he did not disappoint them.
“ If any word is difficult for me to remember, I would admit it before the show and even ask the organisers if it’s possible for them to change it,” said Lawrence.