Testimonials

I started skating at 36 years old. My older son had gone to a friend's birthday party at Skate King and enjoyed it and wanted to do it again, but he wasn't very good. That's how we got acquainted with Skate Journey's. At first it was only my 2 kids taking lessons. My younger son was about 6 years old when he started. He stomped and cried his first lesson and wouldn't go out on the skating floor. One of the patient instructors there stayed with him and the next week my son went out on the skating floor, and it was like a totally different child. He enjoyed it! About a month in I started taking lessons and I loved it! It's like flying and still keeping my feet on the ground. I'd go to the Friday afternoon skates with my kids and Dan T. would be there practicing. He would give me tips as I duck walked around the rink and later it would be on how to do transitions. Within 2 years I became a skate instructor. Our family hit some hard times, we went through our only bread earner losing his job and went on a fee waiver. Without that fee waiver my kids would never have taken lessons as it was too expensive at the time. Later when I became a single mom, I again was granted a fee waiver. Additionally, because I taught as an instructor having that on my resume and using the Executive Director of Skate Journey's as a refence, when I returned to the work force helped immensely when talking to prospective employers. Today, I give back by showing up to teach as much as I can and making a donation during the month of November in thanks. This year, my younger son has become an instructor and it has increased his self-confidence and ability to lead. He has learned so much about responsibility and integrity as a camp counselor. My older son has ADHD and is on the autism spectrum. Skate Journey's has worked with him and allowed him to help, where he can, by being an ambassador during skate camps. Even though he does not have the skills of the other skate counsellors he was included with them. There's are so few youth development programs that would work with my son like that and care enough to make him feel important at the same time. Skate Journey's is an undiscovered gem in all ways. There are so many instructors that have made a difference in my life, Cathy (was my first teacher) and still comes to classes and teaches, Mason, Simona, Dan T., Doug, Judith, Naomi, Chao-Ching, John, Scott, Nelly, Harry, Ed, Irene, Tom VV, and most of all Trish, the rock that holds all of us together.

My skating story begins when I was 4 years old. I was going through my grandma's garage, and I found an old pair of In-line skates. I was fascinated by the idea of wheels on my feet. I jumped into this old k2 skate that had the softest foam I have ever felt to this day and started skating circles around the garage. When I say skating, I don’t mean rolling in a pretty circle, I mean stumbling around like a deer on ice because I had never done something like this before and the skates were 3 sizes too big. I believe this defiantly helped form my love because I was a completive kid and growing up my family was very competitive and determined so I knew I had to be, so every time I went to my grandmas, after playing a few games of Skipbo and phase 10 I would be in the garage skating, holding on to anything in sight and trying to find my balance. After about a month I was skating around with no help of the walls skating back and forth till I had to go back home. Now that I could skate with what felt like soft giant clown shoes, I took my skating to the next level and started skating outside. This is where my love for skating was born. One thing growing up that I loved was that my grandma had a dog named brady and he was my best friend. I would take him for walks every time I came over and as my skating skills got better, I started putting my skates on and taking him for walks. This was defiantly one of the highlights of my childhood I felt so cool skating down the street with a yellow lab. June 2022, I joined Skate Journeys. This was one of the biggest decisions that has changed my life. When I decided to join Skate Journeys, I had a very packed schedule I worked full time at a pizza restaurant as well as working at shop task an inline skate shop and on top of that going to Everett community college. I quickly realized I had too much on my plate so I decided to take a chance on Skate Journey's and quit my other jobs so I could skate full time and go to school. When I joined, I came in as the gear handler as well as an instructor. At first teaching was a struggle for me because I taught myself how to skate and learning the fundamentals that I didn’t have was rough. But the kids the staff and the whole skate community that Skate Journeys has created has been amazing to be a part of. Now working with skate journeys, I skate about 5-6 days a week and I couldn't be happier.

Your staff are all amazing and I’m learning easier and faster with the beginning skate steps being broken down and practicing them in a huge great space until I land them. I look forward to moving through the phases with skate journey!

Toby got an all-expenses paid trip to visit MIT and Harvard this spring break! I would say a big part of the reason he's going is because in his application he wrote about skating, learning to teach, and what a big impact it's made in his life. Here's just another prime example of the skating youth development pathway, you created, that has opened pathways we never in a million year's thought was possible! I'm ever so thankful for you Trish!!

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