Milly Lebowitz just achieved her thousandth consecutive win in competitive musical chairs, a first in the history of the beloved sport. She's risen from the minor leagues all the way to the U.S. Nationals, and we sat down with the newly crowned hall-of-famer to look back on her first win just six years ago.
“Well, it was a community center event. They were doing musical chairs, but there was a buffet on the other side of the room. I rolled past, and a few moments later, everyone started clapping. That happens a lot, but usually because people are inspired by me when I'm not looking. Turns out I actually won something. Who would have thought?”
Bobby Hart was an umpire for the National Musical Chairs League at the time, and he was overseeing the game. Shocked at the last-minute victory, he was quoted at the time as saying, “We looked at the rulebook, and, well … no mention of wheelchairs. I think we've got a bit of an Air Bud situation here.”
Hesitant at first, Hart decided to “just run with it,” a statement that both delighted and offended Lebowitz in equal measure. Whether it was Hart's belief in Lebowitz that compelled him to become her coach for the following six years or just his crushing embarrassment, we can only speculate.
Lebowitz sailed through the minor leagues and dazzled at Nationals. She got a sponsorship from Michelin and beat out the racehorse Black Caviar for Sportswoman of the Year. And no one will soon forget her legendary rivalry with Belgian hotshot Noor van Thourenhout, formerly known as “the fastest buttocks in Brussels.”
When asked if she was considering extending her winning streak into the Global Championships, Lebowitz didn't hesitate to respond: “They have a buffet there too, right?”