By: Lily Criswell and Tracy Truong
Riding a bicycle – a common activity that most people can do. What about a unicycle? Only 3 or 4 out of every 1,000 people can ride one.
Sophomore, Spencer Marineau, is one of these talented individuals.
This talent is even made apparent to his teachers at MMACHS.
“He's unique in a really good way. [Spencer] is very smart and really fun to have in class,” stated Mrs. Kerns, MMACHS’s health science teacher and HOSA advisor.
Like most people in 2020, Spencer had an abundant amount of time to explore new things.
“Since the beginning of COVID-19, I have had a lot more time on my hands and some money. Unicycling did take a few months to learn.”
He taught himself how to ride the unicycle after watching many Youtube videos and practicing for hours at home and around his neighborhood.
“I just watched a lot of videos and then practiced on my back porch. Eventually I went to a nearby elementary school and rode on the blacktop to see how far I could go.”
Spencer didn’t just pick up unicycling on his own. He was inspired by someone most of us know and love.
“When I was 6, I saw a ‘Phineas and Ferb’ episode where Baljeet rode a unicycle. That was my first time
seeing one.”
In addition to learning this skill, he also taught his little sister and his friends.
“I have lots of friends who like to try but they mostly just fall off.”
When he sees people struggling to get the hang of it, he tells them, "the feeling may be weird but it doesn’t require as much balance as you’d think.”
There are also many different types of unicycles.
“There are ones that are normal, ones that don’t have a seat in which you balance on the pedals, and ones that are really tall, called Giraffe unicycles.”
Riding a unicycle is harder than it looks. This is a hobby that requires a lot of patience and endurance. Spencer claimed that, “[With bicycles], you just have to worry about falling to the sides. With a unicycle, you have to worry about falling in all directions.”
For Spencer, it taught him the importance of determination and perseverance.
“For a little while, I stopped because my shin got really bruised from the pedal always hitting it. Eventually, I figured it out and now ride a mile or two every day,” exclaimed Spencer.
For those who want to try it out, Spencer has some advice for you.
“Definitely go out of your comfort zone. If you want to try, hang on to a wall and don't go too far.”
Disclaimer: Please do not try this at home without adult supervision.
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