Falling down, getting back up, falling down again and repeating the whole process- I think that basically sums up skateboarding and my life to be honest.

It wasn't love at first sight, as someone who has bad knee (trust me, I've gone to physios about this) and a poor sense of balance after multiple ankle sprains, it was unbelievably difficult to even step on the board. I would say it took a friend and two skateboard classes from two different teachers plus two weeks of practice in my spare time to get me balancing on the board. Hurray!

I really have to thank my second teacher (who I continued lessons with, first teacher was not a good fit) for all the progress I have made to date during our 5 lessons together (before I injured my knee but story for another time). Progress that I have felt super proud about, even if it may not seem like much to the outside. Skateboarding in some ways has felt like a battle with internal demons- facing fears, calming the mind, having an epic fall, demons strengthened two fold, re-facing demons with harsh inner critic and eventually victory.

Falling. Such an integral part of skateboarding, learning to see falling as a natural process of learning. In the beginning, I would make such a big deal each time I fell, I would have a mini existential crisis about the dangers of skateboarding and whether I am even fit to do it. I would almost talk myself out of it each time haha about reasons why I'm not fit to skate "It's the bad knees", "I've twisted my ankles so many times, that's why I can't balance!!" and etc.

TBC