Cath Bowie, a 78-year-old from Scotland, has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest female Fortnite streamer. She regularly streams the game on Twitch under the username grumpygran1948 and has amassed more than 24,000 followers.
From Grandson's Suggestion to Record Holder
Bowie was introduced to Fortnite by her grandson in September 2017, just two months after the game's launch. She says she has never found the same excitement in other games.
'Although I have tried several other games, I have never found the excitement that I get from Fortnite. I call myself a Fortniter more than a gamer,' she said in an official statement.
Her grandson initially doubted anyone would want to watch her play. 'As a young guy, he just couldn't believe that his grandma would do such a thing and suggested that nobody would join me or watch me,' Bowie said. 'Saying that was like a red rag to a bull to me. I would show him that I could do it. 24,000+ followers later and he doesn't mention it. I wonder why.'
Recognition in Guinness World Records
Bowie's achievement is included in this year's Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition book. She described the recognition as 'a distant goal' that now means 'a great deal'.
'Being recognised as an older female player and streamer in Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2027 always felt like a distant goal. So to have achieved this honour means a great deal,' she said, adding, 'You are never too old to start gaming. Do it.'
Youngest Male Game Developer Also Honoured
The book also features Max Baker, a 10-year-old from Wales, as the youngest male game developer. He created a game called Gravity Parkour 2.0 using Python, which he taught himself to code from age seven.
The game, available free on itch.io, involves guiding a ball across platforms to reach a goal. Baker made it in four hours and said he used no generative AI assistance or 'vibe coding'.
'It was also quite fun working with the time pressure for the record attempt – I was trying to get as many features in as possible with the four hours that I had,' Baker said. He also wrote the foreword for the book.
