Gold Coast police officer Jade Henderson has faced significant backlash after breaking the Guinness World Record for the most pull-ups in one hour. On August 22, Henderson completed 733 pull-ups, surpassing the previous record of 725 set in 2016. Despite her achievement, she has received a wave of negative comments online, including accusations of steroid use and cheating. "I wasn't expecting to receive half the amount of attention I have received already, so when I saw that a lot of it was negative comments, it's quite disheartening to see that," the 32-year-old said.

Henderson initially aimed to break the 24-hour pull-up record but shifted her focus after suffering a bicep injury that required five weeks of recovery. "I thought, 'Why not attempt the one-hour record instead?' Because that prevents me from re-injuring myself and it's more manageable for my body," she explained. The final 20 minutes of her record attempt were particularly challenging. "I felt my hands just rip and I just thought, 'They're already ripped. They can't get any worse, so you've got to make it worth it,'" she recalled.

In late September, Henderson received official confirmation from Guinness World Records that her record was verified. While she felt overwhelmed by the recognition, the online abuse has overshadowed her accomplishment. "It discredits the amount of work that's actually gone into doing this record," she said. "But I try not to focus on it. Those who love me, my family, friends, they know that I have not cheated. I've never done steroids, so I don't have anything to prove to anyone else."

Henderson's experience reflects broader trends in how women in sports are treated online. Deakin University associate professor Kim Toffoletti, who co-authored research on this topic, noted that women often face backlash when they succeed in traditionally male-dominated spaces. "When women succeed in these kinds of spaces, there is that online backlash, that desire to bring women down and to challenge that they potentially can succeed in these spaces and, in some instances, actually do better than men," Toffoletti said.

The study surveyed 138 professional and semi-professional athletes across 32 sports and found that 81% reported personal insults, 62% experienced hate speech, and 60% faced attempts to embarrass them. Additionally, 50% reported general harassment, while 39% experienced sexual harassment. Toffoletti emphasized that witnessing online abuse against other women can also negatively impact athletes' well-being. "Even if athletes themselves aren't being targeted personally, if they're witnessing other women who are succeeding in sport spaces being attacked, that also impacts their wellbeing," she said.

Despite the negativity, Henderson remains determined to pursue her goals. She plans to attempt the Guinness World Record for the most pull-ups in one minute before the end of the year. "I'd like to inspire others to chase their dreams no matter what opposition they may face," she said. "Just believe in yourself. I know it sounds corny, but the mental aspect of it makes such a huge difference, and the saying is, 'Believe you can and you're halfway there' — and I think that's very true."