Ryan Martin stood at the three-point line in his hometown of Saco, Maine, and did not stop shooting for 24 hours straight. When the sun rose again on Monday, he had sunk 11,115 NBA-distance three-pointers—more than any person had ever made in a single day, breaking the previous Guinness World Record by 412 shots.
Martin, a physical education teacher at Saco Middle School who performs under the nickname "Dr. Buckets," had set himself an audacious target: make 10,704 shots to claim the record. But he far exceeded it, averaging one successful three-pointer every seven seconds across the entire day and night. For a PE teacher in rural Maine, the achievement joins an extraordinary roster of world records—he already holds titles for most free throws made in one hour, most NBA three-pointers made in one hour, and most NBA half-court shots made in one hour.
The challenge began at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. Martin's first hours were energized, fueled by focus and the relatively fresh hours of daylight. But as evening fell and the night deepened, the mental and physical toll mounted in unexpected ways. When asked about the toughest stretch, Martin didn't hesitate: the dead hours between 2 and 5 a.m., when exhaustion peaks and the next sunrise feels impossibly far away. "I've never been up for 24 hours," he said, his voice carrying the weight of that experience. "So that was tough."
Yet Martin persevered through the darkness, driven by something deeper than record-chasing. "I love challenging myself," he reflected afterward. "I know you want to quit at a lot of things, but there were waves when I thought I could do it and waves when I thought I couldn't." That honesty—acknowledging both the moments of doubt and the surges of confidence—speaks to the real human struggle beneath the impressive statistics.
The record chase became a community event, particularly in its final hour. Students from Saco Middle School arrived to witness their teacher make history, and their presence proved transformative. The energy in the gym shifted, and Martin found a reserve of strength he'd thought depleted. "The easiest part was the last hour when all the students came," he said. "So that lifted me and gave me some energy." For sixth-graders like Kayden Jacques and Tim Tardif, watching Dr. Buckets cross the finish line became a memory they'll carry forward—proof that perseverance and human potential can achieve extraordinary things.
Martin's collection of Guinness World Records is unusual not just for its breadth but for its specificity: most free throws in an hour, most NBA threes in an hour, most half-court shots in an hour. Each represents a different angle on the same obsession—the pursuit of shooting excellence. Now, with this 24-hour record in hand, doors may be opening to even larger stages. When asked whether he'd like to compete in the NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest, his enthusiasm was instant and unguarded: "Yeah, nothing better. That would be amazing. I'd love that."
For now, though, Martin has achieved something that may prove more important than any exhibition: he showed his students that the path to mastery runs through doubt, through the small hours of the morning, and through the support of people who believe in you.