{"time":1689282658267,"blocks":[{"id":"m8g06b3YkW","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"For as long as I can remember, I haven't always been interested in skateboarding. In fact, my first attraction to it was when I watched the first season of a sports anime that involved skateboarding. SK8 the Infinity was one of the animes that had a significant impact on me in 2023."}},{"id":"905pqYocxY","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"I vividly recall watching it that evening with my siblings. Seeing the skaters perform tricks, balancing on the four-wheeled board while executing incredible moves, completely blew my mind. However, as I watched, I realized that the story only featured male skaters. I couldn't help but wonder why. Were there no female skaters out there? Why weren't there any animations about them?"}},{"id":"gzV20Jf63X","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"At that moment, I decided I wanted to learn how to skateboard and be part of a community of female skaters in Nigeria. So I went online to search for any communities I could join."}},{"id":"UyY5uFm1eL","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Fortunately, I came across Dencity also known as Girls Skate Naija, the first female skateboarding community created to increase, connect and empower the female skateboarding scene in Nigeria (@dencity.ng on Instagram). I couldn't contain my excitement as I clicked on the first profile I found."}},{"id":"trFVReB1iU","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Chinaza (@bigbonetoo on Instagram) was an excellent skater who shared some of her videos on Instagram. Seeing her growth in her skateboarding journey left me in awe every second. I left comments on her videos, asking her how I could learn and get my own skateboard. Within months, I managed to save up and buy my first skateboard on March 16, 2023."}},{"id":"1c_LbvQ5qS","type":"image","data":{"file":{"url":"https://amaka-s3-bucket-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/IMG_3534_d49d97d622.jpg"},"caption":"- Me unwrapping my skateboard. March 16th, 2023","withBorder":false,"stretched":false,"withBackground":false}},{"id":"s4V1U79NPk","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\"This four-wheel death trap,\" I remember my mom calling it when I brought it home."}},{"id":"JN50WGsnNm","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\"No go break teeth, oh!\" my younger brother teased, causing the whole family to burst into laughter."}},{"id":"2ixZiNGT2Z","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\"Chimdi and men-related interests eh,\" my friends said. \"First coding, then anime, and now skateboarding. Do you want to be a man?\" They laughed at me."}},{"id":"0jMVg3xqFk","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"But I didn't take offence. It was common in Nigeria for people to create a divide between activities perceived as masculine or feminine out of ignorance. In my eyes, there was no such divide."}},{"id":"uoPc3PKItF","type":"quote","data":{"text":"Anyone can pursue any sport they find interesting, as long as it doesn't harm others. There's no such thing as 'girls' or 'boys' sports.\"","caption":"-Chimdi Jane Samuel","alignment":"left"}},{"id":"tpUcR0bDOG","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Without waiting to settle in, I eagerly tore off the nylon packaging and stepped onto my skateboard. I almost fell, but my excitement outweighed any fear. I went online and started watching videos on how to get started with skateboarding. Within two days, I was able to push and move around the balcony of our apartment."}},{"id":"4soSr0OPDk","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Typically, I'm not an outdoor person, and I've always enjoyed spending my time within the walls of my house. But skateboarding changed all that. I started going out often to skate, after class and sometimes even during class. Shh, don't tell my mom."}},{"id":"IMpxTwb4Gw","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"My school, University of Lagos, had flat ground surfaces where I could practice, and in two weeks, I made significant progress. I was able to navigate ramps and make small turns. It was an exhilarating journey and I never wanted to stop. If I could skate every second, I would. During those two weeks, I encountered one of the most impactful individuals in my skateboarding journey: Banji."}},{"id":"jIqEc8BP87","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Banji (@fatherofmedia on Instagram) was a skilled skater, and I asked him to teach me a few things. He showed me the right way to turn, how to stop, and how to squat on my board while in motion. Banji was an inspiration, and I was grateful to have met him. He encouraged and pushed me to excel."}},{"id":"_VwhLMlM_y","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"I focused on improving my skills. I learned small tricks like the crab walk, kick turns, and tic tacs. I remember skating in my dorm room, outside, and even at the famous lagoon front."}},{"id":"b3RXKhiPLz","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"But something still felt off—I was skating all alone."}},{"id":"j26086n2zX","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"I reached out to Chinaza again, and she added me to the Dencity Girls Skateboarding group chat! I was overjoyed. Meeting other female skaters was a dream come true, and that night, I spent hours searching profiles and watching videos of everyone on Instagram."}},{"id":"tW3mFtwNTa","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"April 1st came quickly, and I attended my first skate meet up at the National Stadium, Lagos. I was initially very shy because I disliked gatherings of any kind, except for tech events. Watching so many skaters land incredible tricks made me feel inadequate. As a newbie, I felt out of place among both excellent male and female skateboarders. I wanted to go back home."}},{"id":"f-L5Mt_T_L","type":"image","data":{"file":{"url":"https://amaka-s3-bucket-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/IMG_3535_ac17b8ad26.jpg"},"caption":"-Me at the skate meet up with other skaters in Lagos, Nigeria. April 1st, 2023","withBorder":false,"stretched":false,"withBackground":false}},{"id":"VVp2Qg3Grs","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"But Chinaza encouraged me to stay, and soon enough, I was wheeling my board among the others. I sensed some stares because I was moving more slowly than everyone else. Initially, I found myself bumping into others and getting in their way. I decided to sit down first before finding a corner where other beginners were gathered."}},{"id":"oxLOOL731r","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Eventually, I gained enough confidence to join the larger space and started talking to others. I made many friends, exchanged contact information, and was thrilled to discover that some of them also attended my school, University of Lagos."}},{"id":"8Enqk09w2I","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"I returned home that day and fell asleep with a huge smile on my face."}},{"id":"QDyGPaXtMP","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"It's been four months now since I started skateboarding. My cousins and siblings encouraged me to start posting videos of my journey on TikTok, and I did. Soon, people began watching them too."}},{"id":"QgPSV3ZOWL","type":"image","data":{"file":{"url":"https://amaka-s3-bucket-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/IMG_3537_89bb78629c.jpg"},"caption":"-Me skating in school. April 21st, 2023","withBorder":false,"stretched":false,"withBackground":false}},{"id":"s_kY1Hb28a","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"I attended more skate meetups where I met other skaters, including the Pro Nigerian Skateboarder Henry Okwubuasi! (@_heyhenryy on Instagram) *blush*"}},{"id":"_CXlpC4Uel","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"I still feel very shy around them, and imposter syndrome sometimes creeps in. Many times while walking on the streets of Lagos, I get awkward stares from people and some even go ahead to ask me. "}},{"id":"HFbWq0yt3L","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“Can you ride that?”"}},{"id":"tnjCQhzK71","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“Women aren’t supposed to be doing such sport,”"}},{"id":"Dw1JJS5iAe","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"I just smile and ask them who told them that. Some go ahead and laugh at me when I walk by but many are kind enough to encourage me. "}},{"id":"a8UQRYRN-V","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Many times, while skating I felt like giving up, my body hurt a lot and most days I cried because of the pain I went through , falling and getting back on my feet wasn't easy especially when people laughed."}},{"id":"DfkBZx_R-i","type":"image","data":{"file":{"url":"https://amaka-s3-bucket-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/IMG_3539_9913ebaaf4.jpg"},"caption":"-I felt so tired and wanted to give up here.","withBorder":false,"stretched":false,"withBackground":false}},{"id":"bVdJ6QCgRY","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"However, those feelings are insignificant compared to the passion that drives me to ride my skateboard. Holding my board makes me feel kind of powerful."}},{"id":"bWQvxuTcZp","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Despite the injuries, broken bones, and tricks I still have to learn, if I could rewrite the past four months, I would still choose to learn skateboarding."}},{"id":"WaBSXUUaBi","type":"image","data":{"file":{"url":"https://amaka-s3-bucket-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/IMG_3538_44aed24241.jpg"},"caption":"-My knee injury sometime in April","withBorder":false,"stretched":false,"withBackground":false}},{"id":"tSqBawwkap","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"One day, I hope to become a professional female skater. When I dream about it at night, I strive toward that goal during the day, on my skateboard."}}],"version":"2.27.2"}