Skateboarding Across Devon - Coast to Coast

Hi, my name is Nick and I am a 45-year-old skateboarder from Ivybridge in Devon. Six years ago I suffered burnout and a subsequent nervous breakdown. This led directly to me walking away from a job that I loved and had taken pride in for 15 years. For a long time, I suffered from anxiety, panic attacks and cycles of depression. Poor mental health can be devastating, turning people’s lives upside down and worse. I consider myself lucky.

During the lockdown, I began skateboarding again. Soon after, myself and some buddies came together to try to improve our town by harnessing the positive values we were reminded of within skateboarding. We started a non-profit called Skate South Devon and we are now working in partnership with Ivybridge Town Council to create a unique, groundbreaking wheeled-sports space with an attached community hub for our town. The hub will aim to support families and young people through exciting and diverse community focused projects.

This fundraiser is inspired by Chad Caruso, who recently crossed America on his skateboard; I have decided to cross Devon on mine. This is my way of giving back to skateboarding. 100% of the funds raised will be split equally between The Ben Raemers Foundation and Skate South Devon CIC. The 158km Coast to Coast trip will be completed over consecutive days and will finish in Plymouth on the 10th of September - Worldwide Suicide Prevention Day. I hope to be celebrating with friends and family at the 'Union Street Party' by the afternoon of the 10th - so come and enjoy the fun!

More about The Ben Raemers Foundation:

In May 2019, at the age of 28, UK professional skateboarder Ben Raemers took his own life. The devastation and loss of such a beautifully contagious human being rippled across the world. The Ben Raemers Foundation aims to provide a way to maintain Ben’s legacy and help prevent anymore loss to suicide. Our aims are to enable the skateboarding community to have opportunities to develop the skills and tools needed to support each other to understand and address mental health. Suicide is a preventable death, so it’s something everyone can work together to do and save lives. Find out more at www.thebenraemersfoundation.com

More about Skate South Devon:

Funding raised from the trip will help Skate South Devon work with the Ben Raemers Foundation to train skateboard coaches and staff at the new facility to spot signs of and be able to intervene early in a mental health crisis. You can find out more about Skate South Devon and see the planned facility at www.skatesouthdevon.org