5 mins with Amber from Girls Skate NZ

*What was the inspiration for your project / company and how long had you been working on it before launching?

My inspiration for Girls Skate NZ came from the lack of community and connection I felt as a young female skateboarder when I was a child. I never saw another girl skateboarding and really lacked confidence at the skatepark. I wanted to create a space for females of all ages to be able to learn and connect with other like minded girls. The idea came one time when I had started skateboarding again as an adult and ran into another young female skateboarder who was hidden away in the corner of the park, seeming too anxious to skate in the actual park. I invited her to practice with me and watched how much her confidence improved in such a short amount of time. We agreed to meet back at the same time the next week, after a few weeks she started inviting her friends, who then started inviting their friends and before I knew it I had more than 15 girls now coming along to the skatepark to skate with each other. I then decided to branch out to various other parks in Auckland, and through word of mouth we had more than 25 girls attending each session. Since then we have worked alongside schools and sporting organizations trying to remove any barriers to participation and increase female participation in Skateboarding in New Zealand.

*Can you share with us what a typical day looks like for you?

A typical day usually entails waking up alongside my 2 young daughters, getting them ready and dropping them off to school and kindy. I will then spend a few hours doing some admin (ie emails, website design etc) then I try my best to get a skate in before going off to lessons in the afternoon. After my lessons I pick my girls up from after school care then head home and make dinner/ get them ready for bed.

*The industry that you’re in now, was that always a career pathway you wanted to explore? And if not always, what sparked your initial interest?

Nope! I had never imagined something like this being my whole life, but I wouldn’t change it for the world! It was really created very organically and grew from there. It’s so rewarding to witness how much confidence these young girls get from the lessons and how many amazing skateboarders have been bred through it!

*Do you have a highlight experience from your years of work in this space?

Definitely watching all of the friendships be formed from the girls attending. It is so rewarding to watch girls who have finally found a safe place to express themselves whilst building long lasting friendships. And definitely watching their overall confidence improve too!

*Can you share something that may surprise people about what could go on behind the scenes of your work?

So sooo much admin! It’s unbelievable and quite often a lot of people don’t realise how much admin it involves. I am constantly on the hunt for more funding, which means funding applications etc. Also having to write reports, organise coaches, emailing parents, writing health and safety documents, planning out new classes! The list goes on!