Reporter: Lauren Halpern
•6/24/2026

ESTERO, Fla. (WINK)—A Southwest Florida 3-year-old broke a world record with a crowd of family, friends, and classmates cheering him on.
Madden Mesagno launched a disc golf disc 121 feet, breaking the previous World Flying Disc Federation mark of 117 feet for the longest distance thrown with a disc golf disc by a person under 4 years old. The achievement wasn't just about the number—it was about who was there to witness it.
Classmates, extended family, and the man who started it all gathered to watch the record-breaking throw. Madden's father, Michael Mesagno, said he was looking for something he could share with his son for the rest of his life.
"I was kind of looking for something that I could share with him for the rest of my life," Michael Mesagno said.
The journey began when Madden was just a toddler. He kept picking up discs and throwing them, and it wasn't long until the activity turned into a shared passion between father and son.
Michael has become an elite thrower himself, but Madden is his good luck charm. Michael said that when his son isn't around, he performs worse.
"As a matter of fact, when he's not around, I do worse," Michael Mesagno said.
The two spend countless hours outside together, throwing and making memories.
The record books are nice, but Michael said they were never the goal. He said he mostly wanted Madden to spend time with him and be a present dad.
"Mostly that he spent time with me, I just wanted to be a present dad," Michael Mesagno said.
Years from now, when Madden looks back on the day he became a world record holder, his father hopes he remembers something even bigger.
Michael wants his son to remember to dare to be great and try to be the best he can be, even if it doesn't work out.
"Dare to be great, you know what I mean? Try to be the best you can be, and you know, even if it doesn't work out, it's about the fact that you dared to be great," Michael Mesagno said.
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