On 16 April 2011, Christo Coetzer became the first person to circumnavigate the mesmerising Caribbean island of Jamaica by unicycle. Starting from the home of the legendary Bob Marley and waved off by Usain Bolt, Christo embarked on the ‘One Wheel, One People, One Jamaica’ adventure. He rode his 36’’ unicycle anti-clockwise through all 14 of the country’s parishes.
Christo’s unbridled passion for adventure, paradise, the people of Africa and reggae music couldn’t have culminated in a more fitting destination. Enthusiastically supported by the people of Jamaica, he experienced real Jamaican culture, cuisine, music and their famous hospitality.
Christo’s adventure came to a spectacular end as he rode through the gates of the Bob Marley Museum, where he received a champion’s welcome from Rohan and Julian Marley, two of Bob’s sons – a journey in which many dreams came true.
The project provided a unique opportunity for the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) to market the island in a new and exciting way and to use this adventure to strengthen established bonds between South Africa and Jamaica.
On 27 April 2011 Christo was honored by the JTB and the South African High Commission as VIP guest to the SA Freedom Day celebrations held in Jamaica. He was acknowledged and awarded as a goodwill ambassador for both South Africa and Jamaica.
Christo plans to write a book on his experiences and to tell his story through photos and video footage accumulated during the six-week long adventure in a ‘One Wheel, One People, One Jamaica’ DVD.
Christo’s adventure was managed his father and mentor, Theo Coetzer. This journey is Christo’s second ‘world-first’; the first being his ‘Around Mauritius on One Wheel’ adventure in 2010. You can be sure that Christo will undertake more creative adventures.