Linda Jarrett, the oldest female unicycle rider on Earth. Courtesy, Guinness World Records
With a nickname like “Unicycle Granny,” Linda Jarrett was bound to make headlines – but now she’s breaking world records, too. Back in January 2023, she was certified as the oldest female unicycle rider on Earth by Guinness World Records at age 66, and now, three years later, she’s taken the title again at age 69. Simply maintaining the record is one thing, but Jarrett set the bar even higher, performing a key piece in a production of The Nutcracker at the Lindsay Community Theater in Lindsay, California this past December. The “Unicycle Granny” was seen atop her trademark one-wheeled vehicle, complete with a red wig and clown costume.
For Jarrett, getting up on stage is everything. “I love performing,” she said in an interview with Guinness World Records. “I still do! I love to make people happy and make them smile, or even better, laugh.” And her track record proves it. Jarrett attended Florida State University back in 1979 for just two semesters as a non-degree seeking student. Instead, she was interested in the big top tent, where she performed in FSU’s Flying High Circus, one of only two collegiate circuses in the U.S. As you might expect, her main area of expertise was the unicycle. While the unicycle is no longer present in today’s FSU circus, according to director Chad Matthews, it’s simply because many of the younger talent and performers can’t ride the one-wheeler, making Jarrett’s short tenure all the more memorable. “For our circus family, once you’re in the circus program here, you’re kind of a member for life in that respect,” Mathews told the Tallahassee Democrat.
Courtesy: Guinness World Records
Jarrett has been a performer for as long as she can remember; the legendary partnership dates back to Linda’s 10th birthday, when she received her first 24-inch Schwinn unicycle as a gift. She never stopped riding the unicycle, and her repertoire as a performer only grew, serving as an acrobatics choreographer and even a full decade as a coach for the CBS show “Circus of the Stars.” Her lifelong dedication to the performing arts is still in full swing and shows no signs of stopping. As Jarrett just turned 70 on May 31, she hopes to break her own record for a third time with another recital later this month, where one can only assume she’ll be in her natural habitat, wheeling around on stage. From passion to performance to world-record plaques, the “Unicycle Granny” seems to have it all perfectly balanced.
See you on the trail,
Lisa
LMA Newsletter of 6-15-26
