We’ve all been there, racing against the clock trying to type fast for work or trying to improve our typing speeds using the likes of typing lessons or typing games. But did you know that there are people who have hit speeds of 300 WPM? That’s super mind blowing, right? It turns out that, for some, typing is an inherent kind of in-born talent, a feat that has got them into the history books of typing speed records.
Well, let’s dive into some of the extraordinary stories from the fastest typists today and from the era gone by.
Carole Forristall Waldschlager Bechen
Carole is credited as the fastest typist on a manual typewriter in a five minute test!
The typing writer queen was born and raised in Dixon, Illinois, USA. See, her journey to fame isn’t your typical story though. It began with a simple fascination for the clack-clack sound made by the typewriter.
She pushed until she mastered the art of using this mechanical device which led her to participate in numerous typing competitions. The peak of her career came on April 2, 1959 when she wowed her audience with a typing speed of 176 WPM on a 5-minute test.
Later in life her accomplishment was recognized by Guinness World Records which has pretty much cemented her legacy as one of the fastest typists ever!
Hank Torres
In this realm of extraordinary typing achievements this hands-free hero from Florida, USA, Hank Torres stands out.
Yes that’s right, typing without using your hands! Hank’s journey to elite-level typing speed began with a terrible accident that left him paralyzed from shoulders downwards which made typing normally a challenge to him.
As they say, when life gives you lemons, make some lemonades! This is what he did exactly. Hank just wouldn’t let this shortcoming hold him back. His determination and passion for technology made him explore different alternatives for his paralysed hands.
On January 28, 2011 during the Assistive Technology Industry Association conference in Orlando, Torres set a record for the fastest hands free typing speed. He used head and facial-motion capture technology where he typed a specific 75-character passage in just 83.09 seconds.
This groundbreaking achievement showed how assistive technology could empower someone and Hank went down in the Guinness World Records, a spot he very well earned.
The story of Hank just shows us that we can go beyond and around our limitations with the right mindset and determination.
Barbara Blackburn
Born in 1920 in Missouri, Barbara is known as one the fastest typists using the DVORAK layout keyboard. If you don’t know what this is all about then it’s simply an alternative to the standard QWERTY layout designed by one Dr. William Dealey back in the 1930s. The idea behind the layout was to increase typing efficiency.
It’s worth noting though that Barbara actually started out with the QWERTY standard keyboard layout only that she felt it slowed her down. She decided to explore other layouts and long story short, she found her soulmate in the DVORAK simplified layout.
Her speed skyrocketed after the switch. In fact, she became so fast that she found herself in history books.
In 1976, her exceptional skills caught the eye of Guinness World Records and she earned her spot there by achieving a maintained speed of 150 WPM and a peak speed of 212 WPM, something many of us can only dream of to date.
Her talents back then made her somewhat a national sensation. In 1985 Barbara was hosted on the popular late night show, the David Letterman Show where she showcased her skills.
Though she passed away in 2008, Barbara Blackburn’s legacy continues to inspire typists to date, showing that the right tools matter and you don’t have to abide by the norm to do something great.
Rocket
You’ve probably seen those movie scenes where the main character’s fingers fly across the keyboard and you thought to yourself how cool it would be to type with such superhuman skill.
As it turns out someone actually can! Currently the world’s fastest typist is a 17-year old Youtuber that goes by the name Rocket. This kid’s speed is exceptional as he’s able to achieve a speed of 300 WPM on a QWERTY keyboard!
The fascinating part is that he wasn’t always this fast. In an interview with PC Mag, Rocket explained that his journey to such speed began with playing typing games and Minecraft games and soon he realized he could type very fast and he wanted to improve.
He set milestones which he hit and in no time he reached 200 WPM. At this point he felt accomplished and he stopped for a while but soon he got into a routine of practice until he hit his current record of 304 WPM.
What’s even scary is that he still hopes to beat that ‘rocket’ fast speed typing speed soon!
Omkar Palav
In July 2024 Omkar Palav, an IT pro originally from Mumbai, India now residing in Adelaide, South Australia, achieved a Guinness World Record for the fastest time to type using his nose!
He managed to type the letters of the alphabet, that is, A to Z, while inserting spaces between each letter in an impressive speed of 20.51 seconds. His time beat the previous record of 25.66 seconds that had been set by Vinod Kumar.
Omkar’s achievement was driven by the desire to make unique and verifiable accomplishments. He dedicated a month for rigorous typing practice training and practice ensuring he followed the strict Guinness World Records rules of putting his hands behind his back during the attempt. His focus was on accuracy and speed and it paid off quite well.
His determination and desire earned him the title of the “Typing Man of Australia”.
His story goes to show the need for us to push our personal limitations and explore challenges. You might just go down in history for something.
In Summary
In a nutshell, these are just a few stories from some of the fastest typing speed legends that just go to show that you can actually carve your own journey and space in typing. Maybe you could choose to explore other keyboards like Barbara or have some fun breaking your own records like Rocket. Whichever your pathway is, it’s all about finding the zeal and pushing yourself beyond your limits. So the next time you sit to type or play typing games, remember that you could be one key away from something extraordinary!