#166: Kelli Jackson on Riding a Unicycle inside North Korea [Podcast] - Sparta Chicks

#166: Kelli Jackson on Riding a Unicycle inside North Korea [Podcast]

Sparta Chicks Radio

Aug 15
I had the brain fart that if I’m going to South Korea, what about North Korea? You know, Googling gets me in a lot of trouble with these adventures

Kelli Jackson returns to Sparta Chicks Radio this week.

Kelli was first on the podcast in mid-2019 (you can find that episode here).  In that conversation, we discussed how Kelli transformed herself from (and I quote) an “unassuming middle age, overweight, unfit accountant who smoked” and who couldn’t ride a unicycle into an athlete and adventurer who planned to ride a unicycle around the world! 

This time, Kelli returned to share her most recent adventure - becoming the first Westerner to ride a unicycle inside North Korea!

The look says it all!

I have never met or spoken with someone who has been to North Korea so I was very excited to hear about it. 

One of the highlights - the people!

Kelli and I discuss: 

* why she decided to try and become the first person to unicycle inside North Korea, 

* her plan to ride the length of South Korea and how her trip unfolded,

* the surprising highlight of her time in South Korea, 

* how difficult it is to get into North Korea, the moral considerations that she was taking into account and how she came to reconcile them,

* the unusual condition placed on her plans to ride her unicycle by authorities in North Korea 3 days before she was due to arrive, 

* what her expectations of North Korea were and how that compared to the reality,

* what surprised her about North Korea and the highlights,

* the impact of not having set her next goal when she arrived home, 

* the importance of separating achievement goals from activity goals to maintain motivation,

* the importance of self-acceptance and trying not to compare who you are today to the athletes you previously were, 

* how time off the bike and health issues have impacted her identity and how she sees herself,

* the power of defining your Future Self, 

* why being curious can help you manage uncertainty and anxiety about the future, 

* why you should set ridiculously big goals.

Click here to listen on iTunes.

Notes and resources:

iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify

To find out more about Kelli or to say hello, you can find her on Instagram.