Zach Peckman, a 17-year-old competitive jump rope athlete from New Hope, PA, made history at the 2026 U.S. Jump Rope National Championships held on June 17th – 20th at Buffalo State University, in Buffalo, NY. Representing Doylestown’s Zero Gravity Jump Rope Team, Peckman set three national records and solidified his standing among the sport's elite by winning the title of 2026 U.S. Grand National Champion in three events.
At this year’s Nationals, Peckman achieved the following:
- New U.S. Record in Single Rope Speed Endurance ("Three-Minute Speed") with a score of 525, surpassing his previous national record of 515 set at 2025’s Nationals. This remarkable performance allowed Zach to defend his title of Grand National Champion in this event.
- Grand National Champion in Single Rope Speed Sprint ("30-Second Speed") with a score of 104, setting a new U.S. record for male athletes ages 18 and under, and besting his record of 102 set last year.
- New U.S. Record in the Double-Under Relay (Mixed) and Grand National Champion with mixed-relay partner Erika Ebersole of Maryland. With a score of 190, Zach and Erika surpassed the sport’s prior U.S. record of 184.
Peckman attributes his success, in large part, to mastering what neuroscientists call “rhythmic entrainment,” a process in which brainwaves and body rhythms – such as breathing, heart rate, and physical motion (like jumping rope) – synchronize to an external rhythm or beat.
According to Peckman, “Mastering the ability to synchronize each jump and breathe to the cadence of a song’s beat, especially in an event like 3-Minute Speed, helps me maintain my pace, conserve energy, and distracts me from the pain of going all out for three grueling minutes. I chose the song Footloose to train to this year because it’s a great, high-energy song with a fast, steady beat. I sped the song up a little on my computer so I knew that I’d be jumping at a record-setting pace.”
Peckman’s synching to a beat is not limited to jump rope. He is also an accomplished classical musician on both violin and viola, and recently earned the position of First Chair Viola in Pennsylvania’s 2026 PMEA All-State High School Orchestra. Peckman explained, “Both jumping rope and playing an instrument seem to activate an internal metronome in me. When I listen to certain music and synchronize the motion in either activity with the tempo of that music, it’s almost like it triggers a feedback loop (like a dopamine rush) that greatly enhances my abilities.”
Peckman is now setting his sights on the 2027 Jump Rope World Championships. The world championships are a biannual event that will take place next year in Oslofjord, Norway. “I hope to earn a spot on our 2027 National Team and represent the United States again at Worlds. Not only am I excited about the opportunity to compete against the world’s best speed jumpers, but Norway is a country I’d love to see. Last summer, going to Kawasaki, Japan to compete in the 2025 World Championships was an amazing experience. And, this past winter, I attended a jump rope training camp and cultural exchange program hosted by the Chinese National Team in Guangzhou, China. So, jump rope has really been my ticket to see the world!”
Peckman’s long-term dream is to one day represent the U.S. at the Olympics, should jump rope be added to the 2032 Games in Brisbane, Australia.