A Unicycle Academy –Kelechi Unicycle Academy –has recently sprung up in Lagos, Ipaja area where kids are taught the art/sport as well as additional tricks and stunts that can be done with the Unicycle.
The Academy was founded and overseen by Favour Kelechi Okoh who doubles as the head coach at the academy.
Kelechi uses her family house at Oyinade Sobowale close in Baruwa –Ipaja as the training ground where she trains kids and teenagers on the art/sport.
Besides the famous tricks ,like skipping on the Unicycle, juggling on the Unicycle , and Choreographing on the Unicycle , Kelechi brought in an innovation which is the first of its kind in the whole world-a Unicycle Bridge.
She teaches the kids a proper brigade performance and presentation on the Unicycle which is something that has never been done from research so far.
Riding a Unicycle on its own is a herculean task not to talk of the rigorous coordination of playing drums on it, that’s some grit and talent which is worthy of commendation.
‘’I love to be creative; I love to be unique; I love to stand out in anything I do. I can play the drum set on the ground, but I felt if I could infuse my unicycling skills and my drumming skills into one art , it would be a mind blowing performance.’’
Kelechi says, ‘’I bought some brigade drums and began to master the new art of drumming on the Unicycle. It was sloppy and seemed impossible at first, but I persevered till I mastered it. Immediately , I began to teach my students and they mastered it in no time. This metamorphosed into our bespoke Unicycle brigade (first of its kind)’’.
The Kelechi Unicycle Academy hopes to raise world champions and record setters in the nearest future as the head coach has already taken the lead in setting a record as the first and only Unicyclist to ride a Unicycle to the hilltop of Idere hills tourist centre in Oyo State.
Apart from the teaching of sports , the Academy also to teaches the kids good morals, give them positive exposures , improve their interpersonal skills and many other life’s skills; because , the coach sees sport as an agent of socialization, positive change and a weapon of peace and productivity as against social vices and channeling youthful energy into wrong places.