5. You can skate through menopause - Marlene Hielema

Board Women

“Skateboarding always made me happy. It gets your blood flowing, gets your mind off your troubles - it’s a mood changer. I really do think I skated through menopause.”

Skating bowls in her 60s, Marlene talks about skating at an older age, menopause, recovering from falls and coming back to skating after a heart attack. She was one of the founding members of @100percentskateclub in Canada, creating safe spaces for girls and women to skate. On top of this, as @imagemaven, she is a YouTube photography tutor.

Episode highlights:

• Coming back from a big fall.

• The journey into skateboarding - from teens to now.

• “I’ve found my tribe”

• Creating community - the 100percentskateclub - making space for women and girls.

• You don’t need to belong to a team and it doesn’t matter how good you are….and it’s exciting and inspiring to watch.

• You’re not too old - resisting dissenting voices.

• “I’m a sensible skater - I don’t skate when it’s wet and I only take calculated risks.”

• The joy that skating brings - the flow. “It can turn a bad day in to a great day.”

• Coming back to skating after having a heart attack.

• Start slow, and find your own group or start your own club.

More about Marlene:

Insta: @imagemaven

Youtube: ImageMaven

Places and clubs Marlene mentions:

100% Skate Club

Later Skaters Gang

Join the Board Women movement:

boardwomen.co

@boardwomen

Host: Caroline Keylock

Producer: Selma Chalabi

Photography - Clare Keylock

Artwork - Rozi Wan Rimli

Music - Brother Brother by Benjamin Caleb Johnson, performed by BENSON

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