Wheel Talent

Unicycles and Equipment
1

I spotted this in the news section of Cycling Plus magazine (July issue), under
the heading “Wheel Talent”:

"Britain’s top female unicyclist is looking for sponsorship to attend the World
Unicycle Championships in Peking this summer. Fourteen year old Kaleigh Granger
is Britain’s only Junior Expert grade unicyclist and has been selected to
represent Great Britain at the championships as part of a 10 person team.

“Funding, however, is proving a problem because unicycling is recognised as
neither an art nor a sport and so falls outside of the remit of the relevant
funding bodies. Potential sponsors should contact Steve Grainger 01342 890634 or
email mailto:stevegrain@aol.com”

Britain’s top female unicyclist, eh? I suppose I can’t argue with that, I
certainly can’t think of anyone better. Good luck Kaleigh.

–
Danny Colyer (danny@speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/) Honda GB250 for sale:
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/honda/gb250.html “Never argue
with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with
experience.” - Dilbert

2

RE: Wheel Talent

> Fourteen year old Kaleigh Granger is Britain’s only Junior Expert grade
> unicyclist and has been selected to represent Great Britain at the
> championships

For the most part, any press coverage for unicycling is good. From my
experience, I’ve learned to expect innacuracies. Even if Kaleigh’s family gave
them completely accurate information, this could have happened.

How did she become a “junior expert” grade unicyclist? I don’t see her listed in
the results from the last two UNICONs. How about BUC? Does anybody know her?

I wonder who “selected” her to represent GB? For us Americans, we use a sort of
“natural selection” process. If you can afford the trip, you can select yourself
to go! This is okay for adults, but pretty tough for kids.

> as part of a 10 person team.

If accurate, 10 from the UK is great. Or will there be more?

> "Funding, however, is proving a problem because unicycling is recognised as
> neither an art nor a sport and so falls outside of the remit of the relevant
> funding bodies.

Don’t we all know it! Unfortunately, most of us have to pay our own way to get
to these things. Hopefully someday this will not be the case…

I wish her luck and hope she’s able to make it, and have a great time.

Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone http://www.unicycling.com

“I like the way you part your hair – in a circle.” - Gary Goodsell, looking at
a picture of me taken from the side. He only gets away with it by proudly
sporting the same hairline!

3

Re: Wheel Talent

->"Britain’s top female unicyclist is looking for sponsorship to attend the
->World Unicycle Championships in Peking this summer. Fourteen year old
->Kaleigh Granger is Britain’s only Junior Expert grade unicyclist and has
->been selected to represent Great Britain at the championships as part of a
->10 person team. -> ->“Funding, however, is proving a problem because
unicycling is recognised as ->neither an art nor a sport and so falls outside of
the remit of the relevant ->funding bodies. Potential sponsors should contact
Steve Grainger 01342 ->890634 or email mailto:stevegrain@aol.com” -> ->Britain’s
top female unicyclist, eh? I suppose I can’t argue with that, I ->certainly
can’t think of anyone better. Good luck Kaleigh.

seconded. she is brill

Mini Mansell , Long life, Good sex and Prosperity.

http://www.minimansell.com

Listings for Worldwide Juggling Clubs http://www.juggler.net/jugglingclubs Buy
your juggling equipment online at http://come.to/jesters

4

Re: Wheel Talent

John Foss Wrote:

> > Fourteen year old Kaleigh Granger is Britain’s only Junior Expert grade
> > unicyclist and has been selected to represent Great Britain at the
> > championships
>
> For the most part, any press coverage for unicycling is good. From my
> experience, I’ve learned to expect innacuracies. Even if Kaleigh’s family gave
> them completely accurate information, this could have happened.

I have a feeling that the press have been reading the Unicon Web page from the
way this was written and making assumptions.

> How did she become a “junior expert” grade unicyclist? I don’t see her listed
> in the results from the last two UNICONs. How about BUC?

She has not entered Junior Expert, but age group, she is very good and getting
better all the time (rather rapidly for those trying to keep up!) but she does
not have any experience in competing. I think I can reasonably say that in the
UK we do not compete, we just “do”. One of the things that I hope to get help
with in China before UNICON is looking her routine in context of competition, I
have never done this nor has anyone else in the UK as far I can tell.

> Does anybody know her?

As you can tell from what has been said, yes we all know her! She goes to most
of the UK conventions and can always be seen with a wheel between her legs
(unless she in on the trapeze and she is good at that as well!). She has just
returned from the Italian Juggling Convention where she was one of the main
acts. I understand that she has an invitation to attend the Israeli Juggling
Convention, but I am not sure she is going to that as she is performing in
Germany at the same time.

> I wonder who “selected” her to represent GB? For us Americans, we use a
sort
> of “natural selection” process. If you can afford the trip, you can select
> yourself to go! This is okay for adults, but pretty tough for kids.

Selection for the GB is… well, with our strict organisational structure and
rigorous competitive selection process I am sure you can see how we can
authenticate her accredition and selection.

> > as part of a 10 person team.
>
> If accurate, 10 from the UK is great. Or will there be more?

No accurate, we have 12 coming.

> > "Funding, however, is proving a problem because unicycling is recognised as
> > neither an art nor a sport and so falls outside of the remit of the relevant
> > funding bodies.

Kaleigh and Steve are coming to Unicon, I do hope they can get some financial
help to come as well. I know how much extra work Steve has taken on to afford
this trip. When I last talked to him he was so tired he could hardly talk.

Roger

5

Re: Wheel Talent

John Foss <john_foss@asinet.com> wrote:

: How did she become a “junior expert” grade unicyclist? I don’t see her
: listed in the results from the last two UNICONs. How about BUC? Does anybody
: know her?

Oh yes, we in the Uk know Kaleigh, and Leigh and Adam and many other members of
their club in Stourport on Severn. They are regular fest goers and the club has
some excellent riders. In the Uk tho we don’t " DO" competitons** and IUF levels
, so I would guess that Shes a UK expert coz shes reconed to be the best tricks
/ skills rider we’ve got on the scene of her age. Shes only 14 or so, and hasn’t
been to a unicon before.

: I wonder who “selected” her to represent GB? For us Americans, we use a sort
: of “natural selection” process. If you can afford the trip, you can select
: yourself to go! This is okay for adults, but pretty tough for kids.

The same goes over here, I use the same wording as K if I’m trying to extract
money from potential sponsers, it worked for me… Somehow organisations like to
think that teams are selected on merit rather than financial ability. I’d love
it to be the case too, as the money question is preventing a number of good
riders from going includeing other kids from the same club I’m sure. Tho not all
parents will even consider their little darling going to the other side of the
word at 14.

: If accurate, 10 from the UK is great. Or will there be more?

The number is between 10 and 12, depending on funding…

:> "Funding, however, is proving a problem because unicycling is recognised as
:> neither an art nor a sport and so falls outside of the remit of the relevant
:> funding bodies.

I got lucky and was awarded a sports grant from a local fund, as far as i know
I’m the only one to manage that, it wasn’t a big grant but its paid for some
tyres and pedals and a seat post that fits me. Which helps.

sarah

** before any one complains yes, we do do some competions at BUC, the ones I
remember taking part in were the Photo Caption contest, the football field dash
and the whos got the muddyist T-shirt after gladiators… See we don’t " DO"
some things like the US NUC.

BUC the informal Unicycle convention.

6

Re: Wheel Talent

In article <8jav8e$ffg$1@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk>, “Danny Colyer”
<danny@speedy5.freeyour.headserve.co.uk> wrote:

>I spotted this in the news section of Cycling Plus magazine (July issue), under
>the heading “Wheel Talent”:
>
>"Britain’s top female unicyclist is looking for sponsorship to attend the World
>Unicycle Championships in Peking this summer. Fourteen year old Kaleigh Granger
>is Britain’s only Junior Expert grade unicyclist and has been selected to
>represent Great Britain at the championships as part of a 10 person team.

how did i know who that would be before the name,

and some miserable bastard wouldnt let her perform ion the BJC2k show !

– Rob.

… Rob
Stone, Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD. 01904 433161 chat about
BJC2k and BJC14 at http://www.bjc2k.york.ac.uk/
…

7

Re: Wheel Talent

In article <631B3F1D150FD3118E4D00A0C9EC1BDA227745@SERVER>, john_foss@asinet.com
(John Foss) writes:

>
>I wonder who “selected” her to represent GB? For us Americans, we use a sort of
>“natural selection” process. If you can afford the trip, you can select
>yourself to go! This is okay for adults, but pretty tough for kids.
>

This natural selection process really works! As the current US Expert Freestyle
National Champion and World Champion, I wont be learning any Chinese this year.
Good luck to all those who were able to secure funding for UNICON.

keep on trying, dustin klem unicycling productions www.dustin.kelm.com

(remove the BICYCLE from the above address to send me your brain waves)

isa 40:29-31