Nicknamed the “Unicycle Granny,” Linda Jarrett − a former performer of Florida State University’s Flying High Circus − has broken a cycling world record for the second time in her life.
The Arlington Heights, Illinois, native earned the title of being the oldest female unicycle rider on earth by Guinness World Records at the age of 69. It comes after she previously set a record under the same category in January 2023 when she was 66.
While Jarrett was highlighted by Guinness World Records in late April for maintaining her title as the record holder, what resulted in the achievement was her performance in a December 2025 production of The Nutcracker in the Lindsay Community Theater in Lindsay, California – where she rode her unicycle as she was dressed in a red wig and clown costume. Attempts to get comments from Jarrett were unsuccessful.
“I love performing,” Jarrett 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.
“Anything that involved flipping, twisting or unicycles… I was in!” she added.
Jarrett attended FSU as a non-degree seeking student from winter 1978 until the spring semester of 1979, according to a university spokesperson. Her additional educational background is unclear.
But during her brief time at FSU, she performed as a unicyclist with the university’s Flying High Circus, which was founded in 1947 and remains one of only two collegiate circuses in the nation, with the other being Illinois State University’s Gamma Phi Circus.
Jarrett attended the university well before FSU Flying High Circus Director Chad Mathews stepped into his role in 2007. Although Matthews has never met Jarrett, he says he always loves to hear when former members continue performing.
“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 during a phone call. “We’re really happy to hear about successes of any of our former students and alumni – particularly when they’ve continued to hone their circus craft.”
Matthews said the FSU circus has not had a unicycle performance as part of its productions in over a decade since not many of the circus’s performers can ride the one-wheeler.
As for Jarrett, she’s been riding one since she was 10 after receiving her first unicycle – a 24-inch Schwinn – for her birthday, according to Guinness World Records.
Throughout Jarrett’s career, she has served as an acrobatics choreographer and also spent 10 years in Los Angeles as a coach on the television show “Circus for the Stars,” which aired on the CBS network from 1977 to 1994.
As the “Unicycle Granny” recently turned 70 on May 31 – which coincidentally comes as the Guinness World Records has been established for 70 years – she plans to break her record one more time. She has a performing arts recital coming up at L.J. Williams Theater in Visalia, California later this month, where she hopes to commemorate the milestone.
Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Unicycle Granny’: Former FSU circus performer sets world record
Reporting by Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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By Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
