Optus jumps into the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™
By Matt Formston
Optus employees were recently seen jumping in the air – at home, in the office, at the beach and many other places too. And each jump was caught on camera. Why, you might ask?
To officially break the Guinness World Record of the most photos of people jumping uploaded to Facebook in one hour – and we achieved it with 561 submissions and $57,000 raised to support children’s literacy.
Helping children prepare for the future
The event was all part of Optus Enterprise’s annual involvement with United Way Australia (UWA), a charitable organisation that focuses on early literacy through their signature program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Children involved with the Imagination Library receive a free book each month, which is an invaluable part of their literacy journey.
In Australia, almost one in four children start school unprepared - a statistic that is even higher for children in disadvantaged communities. Research shows that children starting school behind are likely to continue on a poor trajectory at school and in later life.
Every little jump counts
Over the past three years Optus has supported United Way to raise funds for the Imagination Library, with more than 200 Optus people taking part in their Walkathon or the United Way Cup.
“In 2020, following governmental advice on COVID-19, we weren’t able to run our regular events, so we decided to launch Jumping for Literacy online instead and attempt a Guinness World Records title!” says Marla Bozic, Head of Partnerships, Marketing and Communications at UWA.
The record they were attempting to crack was for “The most photos of people jumping uploaded to Facebook in one hour,” and it proved the perfect opportunity for our people to draw on their strength as a team, contribute to vulnerable children and have some fun at the same time.
561 leaps into the world records
On the big day, the event was broadcast live around the world by an Optus Enterprise partner, Corrivium, with a special show hosted by Richard Bayliss from Optus Sport and featuring Chris Mitchell, Optus Enterprise’s Managing Director.
As part of the broadcast, families who benefit from the Imagination Library told their story and people could see where their money was going.
The show was viewed by people in Paris, London, the USA and other countries with people there also registering and participating.
By 1.00 pm 561 photos were uploaded to Facebook from 28 different organisations – including traditional business rivals such as Optus and Macquarie Telecom in the telco industry and Fuji Xerox and Ricoh in the print sector – all working together towards the one goal.
“The Optus staff really went above and beyond, and their generosity and enthusiasm are very much appreciated,” said Bozic after the event.
Watch the highlights of the show below.
The event was proudly hosted by the Macquarie Park Business Community Partnership.
Matt Formston Sustainability & Sponsorship Manager, Optus Enterprise.
Matt devises strategies to positively impact the community and environment whilst maintaining a competitive edge within the telecommunications and ICT industry. He manages the Tour de Cure partnership and leads corporate executives to deliver a modern apporach to overcoming community disadvantage. Matt was diagnosed with macular dystrophy and lost 95 per cent of his vision att the age of five. Today he is chair of the Macquarie Business Park Partnership, a world champion surfer and Australian Paralympian in cycling. He is also a motivational speaker and executive coach, having worked with leaders and teams across various organisations and industries.
Sign up
Want to hear more from Optus Business, sign up to receive the latest news and insights sent straight to your inbox.
No question too small
Speak to one of our enterprise specialists over the phone on 1800 555 937 or via the link below.
Project Aurora: Smarter Satellite Servicing for a connected future
12 August 2026
For decades, the satellite industry followed a simple model: build a satellite, launch it into orbit and operate it until i...
Moving faster from threat detection to response with Optus Managed Threat Monitoring Service
12 August 2026
The average organisation takes days to detect a breach, often because the signals were there, buried under a mountain of al...
Connected care, made simple: enabling smarter healthcare environments
28 July 2026
In healthcare, continuity and reliability are fundamental. When systems fail, the effects ripple quickly through clinical w...