Guinness World Records(TM) Unveils Exclusive Story Behind Lee Redmond's Loss of Record-Breaking...

Guinness World Records(TM) Unveils Exclusive Story Behind Lee Redmond's Loss
of Record-Breaking Fingernails
Utah Native Speaks Out After Tragic Car Accident That Robbed Her of 28 Foot
Nails

LONDON and NEW YORK, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- 68-year-old great grandmother Lee
Redmond of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, is undoubtedly one of the world's most
popular record holders of all time. Having not cut her nails since 1979, she
entered the Guinness World Records book in 2002 for the world's longest
fingernails on a female pair of hands.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click
http://news.prnewswire.com/viewrelease.aspx?STORY=MTM5

Until now Lee has remained silent about the astonishing chapter in her life;
how she has coped with her great loss; the reaction of friends and family and
the impact that being stripped of her of her identity has had on her welfare,
but she has given an exclusive quote to Guinness World Records about her
touching story.

Her unique appearance and bright outlook on life won her a legion of fans
throughout the world and she was proud to have achieved such an amazing feat.
However, after nurturing and taking care of her nails for 30 years, in
February this year, Lee was involved in a car accident which tragically robbed
her of her 8.65-m-long (28-ft 4-in) nails and left her with serious but
non-life-threatening injuries.

Although deeply moved by the loss of her nails, which aside from her family,
were her most cherished possessions, Lee's remarkable recovery is testament to
her great strength of character and the love and support she received from
friends and loved ones. Now acknowledging that "there's more to life than
nails," Lee has embraced life more than ever as she faces the world, in her
words, as an almost completely new person.

In recognition of her record-breaking achievements over the years, and with
her full blessing, the 2010 edition of Guinness World Records will carry a
striking photograph of Lee pictured alongside fellow American Melvin Booth,
the male owner of the longest finger nails (9.05-m-long/29ft 8in), which was
taken just a few months prior to her accident.

Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, said: "We were
saddened to hear the news in February that Lee Redmond had been involved in a
car accident, and as a beautiful tribute are delighted to be including the
amazing picture of Lee and Melvin in this year's edition. Lee is a truly
incredible woman who has had a difficult year and this serves as a celebration
of her amazing dedication to the world of record breaking."

Lee has two sons, a daughter, two granddaughters and two grandsons. She is
also a proud great-grandmother to two beloved great-grandchildren. Her
fingernails are currently 11.5cm/4.5in in length.

Lee Redmond says: "Losing my fingernails has been the most dramatic thing
that's happened in my life. I think it was my grandson that said: 'Grandma,
they are like your baby: you've taken care of them for 30 years and lost them
in a second.' But then when you think about it, you know our whole life could
end in a second, not just part of the body, but your whole life."

"The thing that bothered me with losing the fingernails, was that it becomes
your identity and I felt like I'd lost part of that, yet I would always say
when people would make comments about my fingernails, you know there's more to
me than my fingernails."

She continues: "People ask if I'm gonna grow them again and I say, no, it was
a once time thing. It took me 30 years to grow them and to get them to that
length and they became the world record and I probably won't live for thirty
more years."

Remembering the day she met Melvin Booth for the historic photograph Lee said,
"I have very, very fond memories from Melvin, he touched my life. He also
broke my heart, to see this man who wouldn't even go out of his home. Tears
when I left, both he and I. I hope that some day he will realise that he's
more than his fingernails. . . I think the difference between Melvin and me,
for one thing they didn't keep me from going out in public, and they didn't
make me be secluded. I would have never, never chose to keep them if they
would have had to keep me away from people or you know, living whatever normal
is you know. I hope he will decide to go out and interact with people and I'm
sure that he felt the love that I had for him and respect. It wasn't his
fingernails; it was him that I cared for."

Lee concludes: "After the accident, not my children, but my great grand
babies, they wanted me to glue them back on! I always did everything with
them, but now it's so much easier to do things now. The weight is so
different, so much. In fact my hands seem to fly with the weight gone."

Notes to editors

About Guinness World Records 2010:
Guinness World Records 2010 celebrates the first ten years of the 21st century
in style. Subtitled "The Book of the Decade", the new edition of the world's
best-selling copyright book is packed full of fascinating new content and
unique features that recognise the greatest record-breaking achievements of
the "noughties," including the "Top 100 Records of the Decade," links to
downloadable material, brand new photography and a "Record of the Day"
feature.

About Guinness World Records:
Guinness World Records is the universally recognized authority on
record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness
World Records book is published in more than 100 countries and 25 languages
and is the highest-selling books under copyright of all time with more than 3
million copies sold annually across the globe. Guinness World Records
celebrated its 50th anniversary edition in 2004, a year after the sale of its
100 millionth copy. Guinness World Records also annually publishes the Gamer's
Edition; a records book devoted solely to the world of computer gaming and
high score record achievements. The Guinness World Records website
(www.guinnessworldrecords.com) receives more than 11 million visitors a year.
Guinness World Records is part of the Jim Pattison Group, one of Canada's
largest privately owned companies which is a conglomerate of interests,
including advertising, broadcasting, grocery stores and automotive retailing.

SOURCE Guinness World Records

UK Media Enquiries, Amarilis Espinoza or Karolina Thelin, +0207-891-4516,
press@guinnessworldrecords.com; or US Media Enquiries, Jamie Panas,
+1-718-513-7263, jamie.panas@guinnessworldrecords.com