- Grandmother-of-two Karyn Bennett is a fixture at skate parks in her native Sydney.
- The 57-year-old took up skateboarding less than two years ago.
- She broke her foot and her shoulder in two places but is determined not to quit the energetic sport.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Karyn Bennett. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Nothing beats your adrenalin rush when you do a seven-foot drop on your skateboard.
My latest jump was my biggest accomplishment to date. My heart was pounding, but I faced the fear. Some people prefer ground tricks — like kicks and flips. I gravitate toward dropping.
I'm proud to challenge the stereotype of the older woman who is scared of taking risks, especially in sports. I'm turning 58 in August.
My daughter, Brittany, 31, introduced me to skateboarding in the fall of 2022. She was new to it, too. "Why don't we try it together, Mom?" she said. "It could be fun."
My daughter and I push our limits
At first, I could barely stand on my cruiser board, but we'd go to netball courts in our home city of Sydney and roll around. From there, we visited an indoor skate center, where they'd set up little rails and obstacles, mostly for kids.
We watched with our boards under our arms. "This is cool, but I've got no idea what to do," I told the guys who ran the place. They literally took us by the hands and coached us on the moves.
It lit the spark. Brittany and I like challenges, and we were up for the experience. By pushing our limits, we kept getting better.
Balance is a massive factor. If you don't have balance, it messes up your timing, and you will probably fall.
I found out the hard way. I broke my shoulder in two places just a month or so after getting into the sport.
Our friends took us to a skate park, and we were rolling up this bank. They were doing a trick called a Rock to Fakie, "Come on, Kaz, you can do it," they said. Well, I couldn't. I was fearful and made a mistake.
In skateboarding, if you overthink something, you can rough yourself up. I fell on my shoulder and broke it in two places.
Skateboarding is my primary joy and passion
But I rallied in a matter of weeks. I'd get on the board and roll. People said, "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" But I'm very stubborn. As soon as I got the all clear from the doctor, I was away again.
I had my second nasty accident in February 2023. I was rolling off an eight-foot ramp and collided with a BMX biker who came straight down in front of me. I rolled my ankle and broke my foot.
It was called a Jones fracture, but the tendon tears caused me the most pain. I rested up — but not for long.
Britt and I kept at it. It's a difficult sport, but skateboarding has become our primary joy and passion. We go at least twice a week and can stay for six or seven hours at a time. I live and breathe it.
We post videos of our progress on Instagram, but I'm my greatest critic. A couple of my videos have gone viral, and I scolded Brittany. "Why did you put that one up?" I said. "It's embarrassing." How I see myself is never good enough. But the beauty of the sport is there's always room for improvement.
Britt is my biggest motivator
I get a bit of attention when I skate. I've heard people say, "Look at that grandma go!" I've got two grandchildren and think it's funny.
I feel incredibly fit because I'm using muscle groups I didn't even know existed. I'll be skateboarding well into the next decade. I would need to be completely incapacitated not to.
As for Britt, she is my biggest motivator. We've always been close, but skateboarding has brought us closer. We're conquering it together.
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