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Wheeled wonders: Arrowtown School pupils mastering the unicycle (from left) are Finley Cleveland, Louie Tatom Cross, Oliver Hill, Merlin Clarke, Simon Morganty, Simon Wallace-Blakely, Sophie Aitken, Cam Parnell, Thomas Hazlett and Finn Donovan
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These Arrowtown School kids are proof difficult tasks can be achieved if you put your mind to it.
They’ve been taught how to ride a unicycle by popular local bike builder John Potts, who visits schools as part of his quirky Bikes 4 Fun education business.
The energetic 12-year-olds learned how to ride in one term last year and since then they’ve saved money to buy their own one-wheeled gadgets off Potts.
Pupil Sophie Aitken says at first she didn’t think she’d be able to master it – now she tears around the school grounds with mates playing “demolition derby”.
“As John would say, you have to become one with your unicycle, you have to be a part of it, because the unicycle doesn’t want to be ridden,” she says.
Potts, who featured on TV One News’ “good sorts” segment recently, says unicycles are only a vessel of attention.
“The real thinking in behind it is getting the kids to achieve something that’s quite difficult,” he explains.
“We’re using the unicycle as a challenge and prime the kids up with the idea that if you put 100 per cent effort in, you may not do it. But if you put 110 per cent in, you pretty much will.
“We’re trying to motivate them into looking at life like that.”
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