People who have Down syndrome are faced with many challenges in life. Not only do they have a unique set of physical challenges, they also have to deal with being discriminated against by many parts of society. That’s why it’s so inspiring that Kenny Cridge has pushed through all of these challenges to obtain the Guinness World Record holder for being the oldest man in the world with Down syndrome.

Kenny has been beating the odds from the very beginning of his life. When he was born with his twin sister back in 1939, doctors initially thought he was stillborn. They even set him aside while tending to his sister, and it was only when he cried out that they realized that he was alive. Doctors did not give him much of a chance of survival, telling his parents that he had a life expectancy of just 12 years, but it’s safe to say that Kenny has greatly surpassed that!

Kenny ended up outliving his twin sister, who died several years ago. In 2008, he was awarded the Guinness World Record for being the oldest man in the world with Down syndrome, and he’s still going strong to this day!

Ann Nicholson, who manages the care facility that Kenny lives at in Somerset, England, said that he is very popular with staffers at the home.

“Kenny can brighten anyone’s day with his smile and laughter,” she said.

Kenny is inspiring people all over the world to never let anything hold them back in life! Watch Kenny celebrate his 77th birthday a few years ago in the video below.