Bucks Co. Teen Sets National Jump Rope Records, Heads To World Championships In Japan

DOYLESTOWN, PA – A speed jump roping champion from Bucks County is headed to the World Championship in Japan this month in hopes of bringing home honors for the United States.

After making history at the 2025 U.S. Jump Rope National Championships held earlier this month in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 16-year-old Zach Peckman from New Hope is hoping for a repeat in Kawasaki, Japan.

Representing the Zero Gravity Jump Rope Team, Peckman set two national records earlier this month and earned his place among the sport's elite as he prepares to represent the United States at the upcoming World Jump Rope Championships.

At Nationals, Peckman set a new U.S. Record in Single Rope Speed Endurance (3-Minute Speed) with a score of 515, surpassing the previous national record of 509 set in 2023. The remarkable performance earned Zach the title of Grand National Champion in the event.

Zach also tied for second place in Single Rope Speed Sprint (30-Second Speed) with a score of 102, matching Jake Amster, a student at the University of Maryland. Zach’s score set a new U.S. record for athletes under 18.

Zach came out of the national competition as one of the four best male speed jumpers in the nation after breaking the record across all age groups for three-minute speed and tying for second in 30-second, breaking the record for 18 and younger.

During his record-breaking three-minute speed performance, Zach jumped to the beat of a carefully curated song. He listened via wireless earbud to the 1981 Kim Wilde Rock anthem, “Kids in America,” which he had sped-up slightly to match his routine.

Zach knew that if he could stay on pace with the faster beat of the song for the entire three minutes, he’d be the new record holder. The combination of athletic and musical discipline proved to be a winning formula, helping him surpass the U.S. record.

Zach Peckman competes at Nationals. (Peckman Family)

“By far, this is the best year I’ve ever had,” said Zach, who is now among the top four speed jumpers in the nation. “I understand what I’ve accomplished, but it’s surreal to me because just two years ago I was probably 20th or 30th in the country. Just to be at this point now, it feels crazy because it’s happened so fast. It makes me feel accomplished because I know I didn’t get this out of luck. I put in a lot of work.”

Zach will now travel as a member of the U.S. National Team to Kawasaki, Japan, for the 2025 World Jump Rope Championships, to be held from July 27 to August 3. The biennial event features more than 2,000 athletes from more than 30 countries.

Zach will compete in all four single rope male speed events: the Single Rope Speed Sprint Relay (4-person) and Single Rope Double Under Relay (2-person), and the Single Rope Speed Sprint (30-Second), and Single Rope Speed Endurance (Three-Minute).

“I am definitely hoping to get a personal best score. I also think I have a pretty good chance of making it to Grands, which is the top six athletes in each event,” said Zach.

The competition is going to be tough, said Zach’s dad, Marcus. “He’s only 16, but he’s competing against kids who are in college or in their early 20s. If he were not to make finals, but make a good showing we’ll be happy with that, but Zach isn’t happy unless he wins. And that’s the mind of a good competitor - always thinking how he can do better.”

Zach Peckman sets the three-minute speed record at Nationals. (Peckman Family)

Zach trains with Zero Gravity Jump Rope Team at the Doylestown YMCA, practicing three times weekly with his team and an additional three days per week with his father and coach at his home in New Hope. His training includes jump technique, strength, cardio, and speed development.

“It takes a lot of determination, consistency, and dedication. I jump about six, sometimes seven times a week and sometimes in multiple workouts per day,” said Zach, who spends 15 to 20 hours a week practicing. “It’s a lot of hard work and dedication.”

Among Zach’s biggest fans is his dad, who said that his son’s biggest strength is that he has “laser focus. He gets into his zone. When he’s on the floor, the bigger the venue the more he performs. When the gun goes off, he performs at his best.

“We’re incredibly, incredibly proud of what he has accomplished,” his dad continues. “It’s brought us a lot closer as a father and son because we talk about it all the time.”

Zach’s journey began in elementary school when he was introduced to jump rope through the Jump Rope for the Heart program at New Hope-Solebury.

Zach admitted that at the start, “I was really bad at it. A couple of months of really working hard, I fell in love with the sport.” He was soon performing at halftime shows in major arenas like Madison Square Garden and the Wells Fargo Center.

In 2022, as a 12-year-old, he competed in his first national competition in Cincinnati, Ohio, finishing second in two events - 30-second speed and three-minute speed. His score improved the following year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but he only placed in one event - third place for 30-seconds.

Last year, in Salt Lake City, Utah, he crushed it with a win in his 14- to 15-year-old age division. He also made it to Grands, capturing second overall.

His previous experience in international competitions was two years ago as part of the Junior U.S. Team at the 2023 World Championships in Colorado Springs.

In addition to athletics, Zach is an accomplished musician. He is first chair violin and concertmaster of the New Hope-Solebury High School Orchestra and first chair viola in the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County. In addition, he’s a Straight-A student at New Hope-Solebury where he is junior.

“He is truly a kid who is nonstop from the minute he gets up. We try to get him to slow down, but he is so self-motivated it’s hard to get him to slow down,” said his dad.

Looking ahead, Zach’s long-term dream is to one day represent the U.S. at the Olympics, should jump rope be added to the 2032 Games in Brisbane, Australia.