Giselle Psyarc

A Progression in Roller Skating (August 2019 to May 2020)

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ABOUT

After a lifetime of pining over the roller skating community, I finally took the plunge in August 2019 and bought a pair of Riedells with my own money. Since then I have been learning how to skate almost entirely on my own through trial and error and some guiding words from skater friends and YouTube.

When it was posed to us that our Exhibition pieces were to be what we were most proud of, roller skating was the obvious choice. This sport has brought me new friends (a whole new community, actually), experience in a leadership role (I arranged a skating TNS-X that sadly ended after three classes due to COVID19), and more joy than almost anything.

I have spent almost my whole life feeling as if I was so sad I couldn’t move. But almost every day since that one in August when I bought my skates, despite the feeling, I have skated and skated and skated. I’ve pushed myself physically and mentally, and through it all I have healed. For the first time in my life, I am truly proud of myself.

This video encapsulates some of those moments of learning and growing. It is organized both by skill and date. When I look at where I am and where I started, I feel peace. 

– Giselle Psyarc