Maisy's Story: Skate it yourself

I’m Maisy, I’m 18, and I’m from North Halifax. I first heard about the Beechwood Youth Bash on Facebook and noticed they were running a free pop-up skatepark. I’d always been interested in skating and wanted to learn, so I decided to go along to one of the Wednesday evening sessions, without really knowing what to expect.

I ended up having an amazing time.

Hardy, the skatepark coach from Skate It Yourself, was brilliant. He showed me the basics, taught me how to control the board, and helped me build my confidence. I enjoyed it so much that I kept coming back week after week, learning something new every time. By the final session, I even managed my first proper drop-in on the big ramp, something I never imagined I’d be able to do.

Those sessions completely changed things for me. Thanks to the support from Hardy and the Skate It Yourself team, I’m now skating regularly. When the Beechwood sessions ended, Hardy told me about the Orange Box Skatepark, and I’ve been going there ever since. These days, I’m skating most days of the week.

It’s been such a positive change. I love having something active to do that gets me out of the house, keeps me busy, and makes me feel proud of what I can do.

As I keep reminding myself:

“I never thought I would ever be able to do something like that.”