Want to join the people beating the lockdown blues? Well, get your skates on
When I started, I couldn’t even stand up and I fell a lot. I looked like Bambi! – New skater Alicia Rodgers
Alicia Rodgers took up roller skating to stave off lockdown boredom, but soon realised she had found a sport for life.
The 29-year-old from Glasgow began posting online videos to help raise money for mental health charity Theatre Nemo and has found a community of like-minded friends who share her passion for retro rollers.
“I bought a pair of roller skates after watching the film Whip It a few years ago, but they just sat untouched. Then lockdown happened and I was bored, so I decided to try them out. I figured the streets were empty, so at least no one would see me if I was terrible.
“I really liked it – even though I fell a lot – and after I heard about the 2.6 Challenge, which was launched after the London Marathon was cancelled, I decided to learn how to roller skate in 26 days to raise money for charity.
“When I started learning
I couldn’t even stand up in the skates but after doing it every day I got loads better and even managed to raise £3,000. I haven’t stopped since, really. “I started just bumping into people when I was skating down by the riverside, and before I knew it I was in a group chat with 40 or 50 different skaters.
“Some of them had been skating for a long time, but the majority were people who, like me, started last year. “I’m hooked for life now, and I’ve met such a great community of people, which has made the experience so much better.
“Obviously, right now, we can’t skate together because of Covid restrictions but come summer I can’t wait to meet up with everyone and maybe even hold our own events.
“When I look back at my first videos, I look like Bambi! It’s wild to see how far I’ve come in just a year.”