How Roller Skating Changed My Life

I can't even begin to explain how much I have changed since discovering life on eight wheels. It seems crazy and maybe even a little dramatic, but rollerskating really has changed my life. And it’s brought me back to myself. 

My whole life, I’ve always been an active person. And although I’ve never been one to go to the gym and lift weights, I love to move. I do yoga. I dance. I hike. I play in the ocean. I horseback ride. I stay active and fit by finding things that I love to do. 

Back when I was a yogi

But after moving back to the United States, things changed a little. My life wasn’t so active anymore, and I was slowly gaining weight. 

I was so much more focused on work and building my business. I stopped taking the time to cook meaningful meals that nourished my body. And I started to become a little depressed. I missed my beautiful jungle oasis, and the concrete jungle just wasn’t doing it for me.   

And then things got really bad. Out of the blue, I had a trampoline accident and tore my ACL and meniscus. I had to get surgery. At that point, everything stopped. I couldn’t do anything active for a while, and it took me a whole year to recover. By this point, I was forgetting who I was. I was forgetting my love for movement.  

One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do

But one day, everything changed. I woke up on a random Tuesday and looked at myself in the mirror. I didn’t like what I saw. This was not me, so I decided to make some big life changes.  

I told myself I was going to be active every single day. So, I started to walk. And after walking for a few weeks, I decided I wanted to run. Running wasn’t really my thing, so I downloaded a running app that helped me set goals and run up to 4 miles without stopping. I was hooked. I loved the way I felt running, and I was starting to see results. I was starting to feel like myself again, starting to feel strong. 

Getting healthier

Then, on Instagram I saw a pair of Cynthia Rowley Impala skates with little flowers all over them and had to have them. It so often starts with fashion for me. This launched a deep internet dive to realize that all skates everywhere were sold out. Turns out COVID-19 inspired a lot of people to take to the streets on eight wheels.

So since I couldn’t just order, it got me really researching roller skates. That’s when I learned that the impalas were not the skates I wanted, I wanted Moxi’s.

While researching I saw this video.. I wanted to have this experience. The girls all looked like they were having a blast rolling through the streets, hill bombing, skateparking, I saw myself in these videos and it got me excited.  

Baby steps

After a painstakingly long month of obsessively checking eBay and every other roller skating website, I found a pair on eBay. I overpaid for my skates, but I knew they were worth it. 

Once my skates arrived, I immediately tried them on and skated two miles to my in-laws’ house. I fell a couple of times, but I knew I had found something to love. I knew that roller skating was my new thing. 

When I roller skate, I feel like a little kid again. As soon as I lace up my skates, all my worries disappear. There’s nothing else in the world but me, my roller skates, the road and my music. Skates are like the best dance partner in the world, and the perfect excuse to dance alone through the beautiful tree lined streets of Miami. 

Love the miami skate community

There’s this sense of freedom that comes with speeding down the road, your hair blowing in the wind, and your music playing. There’s nothing like it. Nothing compares. It’s also brought me a new love for concrete that’s for sure, never thought that would happen.

I’m just incredibly amazed at how much it makes me feel like myself again. It’s made me remember how much I love moving. And it’s completely transformed my body. 

I mean all I have to do is have a blast and I'll get fit? Where do I sign up? 

It’s also bringing me a whole gang of friends who love to skate. People from all walks of life with a common love of rolling. It’s a really special experience that’s just beginning to unfold.

However, there are parts of it that do scare me, namely the skatepark parts. But I can’t help but keep coming back. The scary thrill of it is inspiring even though I’m not that daring. It keeps me on my toes, and it makes me want to go back and try and try again, no matter if I fall. 

The falls are always worth it...at least so far. It kinda goes with the territory, so you have to accept that, and you gotta keep getting back up. I wear my concrete kisses with honor, to be real, a little scab on your elbow can make you feel a little badass not gonna lie.

And while sometimes I wish I had discovered skating many years ago and not at 44, I am a believer that things happen at different times in our lives for different reasons.  

And to be realistic... I was living in the middle of the jungle in a town that only had dirt roads, so, I guess there’s that.