Kanya Sesser is a Paralympic athlete, actress, inspiration and now world record holder.

The 31-year-old, who was born without legs, recently broke the record for the longest handstand on a skateboard by holding herself up on just her hands for 19.56 seconds, according to Guinness World Records.

“I think it’s one of the life-changing career moments that’s happened to me,” Sesser said after setting the record in Los Angeles. “It’s so incredible for me to make history for other people to see. I’ve made an impact on others for generations to come.”

With the motto “no legs, no limits,” Sesser’s life has been nothing short of exciting, as she described her first trip on a skateboard borrowed from a friend, according to GWR.

She told the record book that she was hooked after her first skateboard ride and began practicing in her local park. Meanwhile, she has also been successful as an athlete in other disciplines, including as a wheelchair track racer at the Paralympic Games.

“I was the third fastest woman in the world and qualified for the World Cup in Switzerland in 2012, where I won an all-star medal,” Sesser told GWR.

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After retiring from track cycling, her skateboarding exploits led to an invitation to the 2019 X Games and her participation in the 2022 Dew Tour, where she finished second in the women’s adaptive skateboarding event.

But while Sesser told GWR she feels it’s in her “soul and blood” to be who she is today, she said she wouldn’t be here if others hadn’t helped her and pushed her through the obstacles.

After being abandoned on the side of the road in Thailand as a baby, Sesser’s cries caught the attention of a woman who took her to a hospital, where she remained under staff care for more than five years, GWR reports. When she was 5, she moved to Portland with her new adoptive parents and gained two older brothers.

She told GWR that she struggled with a language barrier as a child and, in addition to missing legs, had to undergo multiple surgeries for the webbing between her fingers.

Still, Sessier told the record book that she had “strength in the
difficulties” and was “guided by the desire to always try new things,” which led her to join a cheerleading team and later book her first modeling job as a high school student. That’s also when she started participating in adaptive sports such as wheelchair rugby, swimming and sledge hockey.

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Now that she’s skateboarding, she told GWR that she’s focused on having fun, but she also has her sights set on achieving more feats, like the longest handstand. And with her key to success, “unconditional self-belief,” anything is possible.

“Skateboarding is a lifestyle and I feel free, like there are no boundaries,” Sesser told GWR. “I can just ride how I want and feel like I’m part of something great with the whole skateboard culture community.”

But aside from the possibility of another world record in the future, don’t be surprised if you see Sesser on screen or in a magazine. She’s appeared in titles like “Babylon,” “Hawaii Five-0” and “The Walking Dead” and has modeled for brands like Billabong, Sephora and Abercrombie and Fitch.

But the next place she’ll be? The “Guinness World Records 2025” book, of course.

“Being in the Guinness World Records 2025 book means that I am part of something bigger than anything I have ever done in the world. And how incredible it is to have my face all over the world. It is truly an honor,” Sesser said.