69-Year-Old Unicycle Granny Breaks Her Own World Record

At 69 years old, Linda Jarrett rolled onto a California stage during a production of The Nutcracker and made history twice over. She officially became the oldest woman on Earth to ride a unicycle, beating the previous record holder: herself.

Jarrett first claimed the title in January 2023 at age 66, cycling across a stage in Tulare, California, with a young girl balanced on her shoulders. Two years later, she took the stage again in Lindsay, California, and reset the bar at 69 years and 189 days old.

Her journey on one wheel started at age 10 when she received her first unicycle as a birthday present in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She rode it with her sisters and fell in love with the challenge. That original 24-inch Schwinn still sits in her collection, and she still rides it regularly.

By age 13, her dad bought her a six-foot tall unicycle, and she rode it everywhere. The nickname "Unicycle Granny" came naturally after decades of performing.

Jarrett turned her childhood hobby into a lifetime career. She worked as an acrobatics choreographer, performed with Florida State University's flying circus, and spent 10 years coaching on the television show Circus of the Stars in Los Angeles.

Today, she continues performing in local musical productions and community theater shows across California. When the curtain rises, audiences often see her rolling across the stage on one wheel, bringing smiles and laughter wherever she goes.

Why This Inspires

Jarrett's story shows that passion doesn't have an expiration date. She's been riding unicycles for nearly 60 years, proving that the things we love as children can fuel us throughout our entire lives. Her dedication to performance and making people happy turned a birthday gift into two world records and a lifetime of joy.

Her advice for anyone interested in unicycling captures her spirit perfectly: start very young and never stop.